


Burny

by Milana16



Series: Fang, Fist, Song series [1]
Category: TsukiPro the Animation
Genre: (romance much later on tho), Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Vampire Hunters, Alternate Universe - superpowers related to music that make very little sense, Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I realized I was naive some 11k words in, M/M, Minor Character Death, Worldbuilding, You've been warned, anyway, it's preslash, like OC death?, not yet fluff quell doesn't exist just yet, oh well, started as your regular ShikTsuba DaiRikka, the first draft of this piece was like "oh I'll just write a short one shot", then went to hell as those four decided screw monoromantic relationships, tho you'll probably notice these two being slightly more physical? I think, weird time lapses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 48,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milana16/pseuds/Milana16
Summary: The man is dying and he cannot have it, not if he wants to hear more of his music.Then, decades later they save two hunters and the rest is history.Written with fire letters, but still.
Relationships: Murase Dai & Okui Tsubasa, Shiki Takamura&Sera Rikka, pre-ShikitsubaRikkaDai
Series: Fang, Fist, Song series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653481
Comments: 18
Kudos: 11





	1. Undefined

**Author's Note:**

> The full story to this piece:  
> "Lol I think I want to write Hunter&supernaturals AU, let's add bioapo's setting, bc Cyelle made their own story look great in it, and let's preface it with four prequel-ish one shots, with SolidS' being slightly longer bc, y'know, new world's worldbuilding, and all this, but not more than 7k in total, right?"  
> At 11k, with not even Rikka's arc closed properly:"uhhh, okay, let's make it two-shot? First Rikka's part and then the rest?"  
> Long story short, Rikka's arc alone takes three chapters of this story, with "the rest" taking up almost as much space.  
> I'm sorry?  
> (also, Rikka's POV is such an underappreciated perspective it makes me sad- he's such a great character to look at the story with their eyes!)

He’s dying.

He stares at the no moon night sky, watching the stars slowly fade from his vision, and wonders _Will it really end after barely twenty years?_ That life of his- he tries to think positively- wasn’t long, but wasn’t bad too. He didn’t hurt anybody, not beyond the mend of first love turned down, or a less innocent offer cut off mid-word. Maybe he should have stayed in one place. Made one lady happy with a husband as pretty and kind as her. Found a work that wouldn’t require for him to travel all the time. Maybe.

Maybe he shouldn’t mix into what looked like two lean men robbing another poor villager. Maybe then he wouldn’t be told to ‘take his place’ as the villager runs away and lean men reveal their fangs.

Maybe he shouldn’t fight- he would end with just a few tiny dots on his neck instead of wide gashes on his revealed chest, what was left of his blood slowly trickling onto leaves on the ground under him.

Maybe.

Maybe he should be more worried about being seen like that by a purple-haired child, staring at him -probably, his vision was getting blurry- in the middle of the road, but he can’t help but be mesmerized by the child’s features instead - piercing eyes the most. Then he opens his mouth, and oh, he probably isn’t even a child anymore. Not in human years, at least.

‘You’re dying.’ he states curiously, no menace, no glee in his voice, just a fact. For some reason, this makes him smile.

‘Probably, yes.’ he gathers a bit of leftover strength and leans on the nearby birch, staining its' white trunk red. ‘There’s still a bit of blood in me. Wanna try? It’s a bit messy though.’

He really, _really_ doesn’t know what made him say that, but the child, well, a young vampire, tilts his head curiously.

‘You would allow me to bite you like that?’

‘I’m dying anyway.’ he’s sure his voice fades, but his speaker has super hearing, he’ll probably catch that anyway. ‘And I always hated waste. And you seem nice.’

That caused a bigger reaction- the pupils widened and he realized the vampire has eyes as purple as his hair.

‘Nice, really?’

‘Really.’ he smiles reassuringly. ‘It’s all in the nature, really. Old becomes food for young, normal. You even waited for permission, that’s what nice boys do. Just-’ he tries to reach one of the wounds on his shoulder but his hand falters midway. Oh well. ‘Promise you won’t become like those monsters, and it will be okay.’

The vampire seems to be considering him, before nodding and leaning in, and he exhales and closes his eyes, just as the boy grasps his arm gently. His head lolls away as the vestiges of consciousness fade away from him, revealing his neck, and the perfect, unbitten part of it.

That’s the first time he’s heard music from someone other than his family members, and honestly, it’s beautiful, yearning, _haunting_. Even more than the body of the man with hair the color of pinkish, dawning sky.

That’s also the first time somebody looked at him without fear or respect, just casual warmth. And called him something other than „threatening”, „promising”, or „powerful”. "Nice", huh.

The Song fades with life, and he wanted to hear more of this one. He wanted to hear it sung, in the same gentle voice that called him nice. He considers slowly clouding eyes the same color hair stained with its’ owner’s blood are, and makes a decision, not for power, or family, or future, but for himself.

And that man.

He leans in just as the human loses his consciousness, but not life, not all of it. Well then.

He bites in, and with that, his energy invades body of the young man who literally gave himself up to him.

That’s where the Song of Shiki and his first and only Changed starts.

*

The man wakes up four days later, still weak, and no longer human. Shiki uses that time to actually educate himself on the process he’s put in action instinctively, so when the unavoidable „what happened” resounds, he’s ready.

‘I Changed you, since you were dying, and your Song would die with you, before I’d get to grasp it properly.’

He goes on to explain that, even though Changed have an unbreakable bond with their Changers, he will try to find a way to minimize its effects on the man. That, as a vampire, he can still feed like the human, since Shiki’s energy can provide replacement for blood, at the price of Shiki’s thirst rising, but that was not man’s problem. He finally asked if something was unclear.

‘How come you offer explanations to me without even offering a name? Or asking for mine?’

Shiki can’t help it.

‘It’s your Song.’

‘My song?’

Intricate, convoluted, beautiful; waiting for Shiki, luring him to unwind it, to put it into notes. To mix it with other Songs, those which he has yet to hear, yet he definitely knows are somewhere out there.

But that’s the vision available only to him, and to some with Composer’s gift, so the man would probably not understand. Not until he makes these Songs exist in their mutual world. So he asks instead.

‘I’m Shiki. What’s your name?’

*

This question is the first step on his journey too, as he gets to know his Changed more and more, and his Songs unveil themselves with every new bit of information.

The man’s name is Rikka, Sera Rikka. Shiki learns only after the fact that he was supposed to give his Changed a name, and replace last name with his own, a brand of belonging to him. He’s glad he didn’t know that, Rikka's current name fits like a glove.

He was a wanderer, a model for artists abandoned by their muses. A replacement for too old hands, or too fat waists for the painters and sculptors to have a reference of a beautiful body instead. Yes, his profession was similar to that of a wandering entertainer, sometimes closer to that of a courtesan, but it was a free life.

Maybe a bit too free, Rikka wondered, after all, with no anchor gods know where the ship will drift away to.

His ship seemed to land in the summer residence of the Takamura clan, as Shiki kept him a secret from his family till he grows accustomed to his new body.

The body that feels like not his own, the teeth that feel like they aren’t fitting in his mouth, even though Shiki sees nothing wrong on his face. The hands and legs he needs to constantly remind himself that he is the one that controls them.

The body bearing a flame that wasn’t there before, or at least, not as visible, physical, as ridiculous as it sounds. Shiki looks excited, when the it appears on the tips of Rikka’s hands for the first time, and progress to give Rikka a rundown of what High Vampire elemental power is, and how apparently, Rikka was in possession of it as well. He learns his body can move quicker, more gracefully, his eyes can see more, ears hear more, everything is more - except for blood.

Rikka doesn’t feel thirst, at least, not his own. Shiki’s thirst though, it’s a different matter. Terrible, disturbing, thankfully easily amendable- Takamuras were known for secret way of storing blood without spoiling it, and Rikka learns that while Shiki knows how to feed from humans and had experience with it, he generally preferred much cleaner version of using old, sometimes ancient reserves to quench his thirst. He also loved coffee more than blood, even though coffee was originally its' substitute. Rikka is grateful.

True to his word, Shiki doesn’t restrain Rikka in any way, but he quickly learns that, different to servants and other vampires, he feels quite comfortable near stoic purple haired vampire. It’s weird, but not amusing, at least not when he learns why. Shiki unsettles people with his staring - because he’s focusing on sounds other beings produce- and with his silence - because he focuses on recording the sounds that exist only for him rather than producing sounds for everyone- and with his power - because _who is even able to Change someone this young?_ \- and the fact that he prefers to hide, rather than boost his ego with how strong he is- because deep down, Shiki is a kid who wants to be percieved as peer, not as a powerful ally or foe.

Speaking of which, Rikka notices that even though he is younger, it’s his body that stops its' development, while Shiki’s growing. It’s normal, he’s assured; Changed’s body is quite obviously connected with that of his Changer. It means his body will freeze in this age until Shiki’s body match his, and even then will end up aging in Shiki’s time. Rikka feels unsettled, but can’t really complain. Even though he was young as a human, he was alredy feeling he hasn’t got enough time to do... something, he really doesn’t know what. In that aspect, maybe a vampire’s lifetime will be enough to find what he was looking for as a human.

He wonders when he has gained a habit of mothering the purplehead. It’s not obvious, at least he hopes it isn’t, but he teases walks out of Shiki when the other shuts himself in his room. He’s just there, quietly humming, or reading a book - his father taught him both his native and his mother’s letters, so he has a lot of titles to choose from, since his life up to now didn’t give him so much time to read - waiting for Shiki to return from one meeting or the other with different Vampires, always tired, often irked, needing a friendly ear to vent to.

(Shiki isn’t unsociable, but he’s clumsy with words and tends to be blunt in social situations. Rikka finds that cute, but he isn’t stupid enough to think High Vampires’ society, known for their attachment to etiquette, respect, and thing of old times, would think the same as him of one of the younger vampires with a... fresher worldview.)

He is the one who introduces Shiki to human food. While not needed for vampires, it served as a new experience that Shiki quite visibly enjoyed. Different textures, different tastes, they all seemed to seep into young vampire, giving him new perspectives, new sensations, new inspirations. For Rikka, it was one of the ways to remember himself from before his Change. A way to stay true to the one born by his parents, while changing to suit his new situation.

He is also a graceful listener whenever Shiki needs one for his compositions. Rikka doesn’t understand music like his father, a man earning living with it does, so he cannot give him constructive criticism, but Shiki seems to appreciate just the possibility of gauging somebody’s reaction against his melodies. In return, he teaches Rikka how to read a scoresheet, even if it’s a slow, really slow process.

*

Shiki’s family doesn’t take to him as well as Shiki did.

For starters, that’s why Shiki takes so long with introducing him. The Head of Takamuras is all about power and allies and merit, and Rikka has none of those to offer. His possible usefulness as a living bloodbank ended with his Change, and his flames are soft and gentle compared to fierceness of the other Takamuras. As soon as he confirms that yes, Rikka is useless to him, Head orders a disposal of him and Rikka is almost relieved- his new life, with understanding if weird companion, with luxury his previous world allowed him to touch only briefly, seemed too good to last. He doesn’t want to trouble Shiki, so he says no goodbyes, tries not to look at him, even as there are shadows coming close from all around him.

The purple flames burst from the floor just as soon as Shiki smashes a file of messily filled scores on the table in front of the Head, successfully cutting off the shadows-servants? Executioners?- from Rikka.

‘If you find him useless, then I’m taking him back. I need him.’ Shiki says in a deadpan tone, staring his own father down.

Rikka just feels warm. Being needed by someone, not for looks, but for something else was this nice of a feeling... he hasn’t realized this before.

He also doesn’t realize when his body moves on autopilot, ordered through his Changed link for the first time, to stand beside Shiki.

‘Rikka, sing it.’

He looks at Shiki, then at scoresheets. He wants to laugh, there’s no way a simple song will make the Head change his mind, but when he opens his mouth to thank Shiki and to tell him to give up, Shiki looks directly into his eyes, and for the first time, Rikka also hears music. It’s coming from within him.

‘Sing, Rikka.’

He does as ordered.

*

They are allowed to take summer residence as their base, and with time, Shiki gradually takes over more and more of the Head’s duties. That’s how barely a year since his Change, Rikka meets Izumi Shu, a second little brother like figure in Shiki’s life. Also, second Composer. The meeting clears quite a lot of his questions about the talent Shiki seemed to posess, talent that made him save Rikka.

‘Eh? Shiki, you cannot hear your own Song?’ Rikka asks as he serves the tea to the two by the low oaken table, dark with the age, standing proudly in the middle of the room, surrounded with armchairs.

(He won’t stop until Shiki admits tea is better than coffee, or at least, as good as it. Seems like he won’t be stopping anytime soon, though.)

‘No Composer can.’ Shiki answers gruffily, reluctant to admit his own inability at something. Shu chuckles, fully aware of other High’s feelings, but confirms his statement.

‘We really can’t. We somewhat can catch notes and feels of each others Songs, but that’s it. We still can share what we read with each other, so that we have a bit more clues besides blind trial and error.’ He tastes tea. ‘It’s really good, Rikka.’

‘Thank you. If you could convince your big brother figure...’

‘I stay by coffee.’ Shiki promptly replies to the jab, before taking a sip. ‘But can’t say this tastes bad.’

‘I have to accept that for now then~’ Rikka says with a tiny smile and lilt in his voice.

Ever since that presentation in front of the Head, they’ve become even more comfortable around each other, to the point that Rikka started returning to his old habits of playful small talks, to some appearing like flirts.

(They actually kissed once, after one of Shiki relatives implied he’s in love with Rikka. Changed definitely didn’t feel nearly as disgusted as he did with some of his previous experiences, and it definitely didn’t feel as forced as them, either. Still, something was missing, and he didn’t hesitate to tell that to his Changer. That, while not bad, Rikka doesn’t feel they’re made for each other like this, not yet perhaps, and that, while he won’t push him away if Shiki wants to continue doing that, he feels something will keep missing if they hook up on it. Turned out he put in words their mutual feelings of the issue, as relieved Shiki assured him. Ever since, they continued with easy air between them, that question mark cleared from their relationship. Suprising what a simple kiss can solve.)

‘Still, is it why you seem to be working on Songs of other people rather than your own?’ Rikka continues their talk, sincerely curious. Shiki nods.

‘It’s easier to work on something I can see. That’s why your solos are easier to write than our team Songs.’

Rikka blinks.

‘Team Songs?’

‘Yeah.’ Shiki answers simply, and Shu sighs good naturedly, already prepared to elaborate.

‘It’s something not everyone has. When there are other people’s voices entwined with your own, we call them team Songs. They’re tricky, since until we meet the owners of other sounds, we have absolutely no idea who they are, what they sounds will be like, we just know they are, maybe can predict a line or a tune but that's it. It’s frustrating, honestly.’

‘Shu’s even more complicated than I am.’ Shiki adds, and Rikka focuses on fair haired vampire. Shu sighs.

‘I really don’t know what did you mean by „two and half voices” Shiki.’

‘I just say what I see around you.’ Shiki downs his cup and Rikka raises to refill it. ‘Thank you, Rikka. There is one clear voice, this one looks like the ones around Rikka that aren’t me. Then there is these other that aren’t really two separate things, more like, a voice and a bit of another voice.’

‘Unless they have split personality-’

‘Or maybe two people with one voice?’ Rikka suggested absentmindedly, and two vampires looked at him confused. ‘It never crossed your minds?’

‘I’ve... never seen something like that, if I’m honest.’ Shu admits and Shiki shrugs in agreement, before adding.

‘Then again, I’ve never seen anything like what is around Shu either.’

‘Well...’ Rikka considers for a while, sipping his tea, before asking another question.

‘And if you tried to Compose it?’

‘Yeah, that’s a bit...’ Shu starts uneasily, but Shiki interrupts bluntly.

‘Impossible. Those are Shu’s pieces to write. I wouldn’t like somebody else Composing your Song too, so I won’t do that to him.’

Rikka tilts his head, not really understanding strong reaction.

‘Songs...well, to us they look.’ Shu starts, and Rikka nods, he got over that Composer’s synesthesia pretty quickly. ‘Right. So, between me and Shiki, those looks kind of corresponds to our elements.’

To present his point, he raises his palm and tea floats through the air to form tiny liquid sphere just above his hand.

‘Shiki’s melodies look like fire. I can tell they’re Songs and all, but I would have to get through the... fire-ness, of them, before I could get to their musical nature. I have no such problems with Songs of my nature, they look like music from the start to me.’ He explains tilting his hand and letting the sphere bleed back into his cup, before taking a sip. Rikka nods slowly, before turning questioning eyes on Shiki. Purple haired vampire sighs.

‘Shu’s Songs look like they’re underwater to me. His team Songs are a muddled water. I guess it’s because he hasn’t met any of the other Singers just yet.’

‘Well, those without Rikka in them look like smoke around you, Shiki.’

A thought strikes Rikka like a sudden burst of flames.

‘The Singers can be humans, right?’

‘Of course, you were one too, remember?’ Shiki asks confused, and Rikka nods.

‘Then, it’s possible the other Singers haven’t been born yet? Vampire lifespan is longer than ours- I mean, human's, so even if they’re born later, it’s possible you’ll met anyway.’

Both vampires stare at him in dumbfounded silence, before bursting out in laughter.

‘I can’t believe we didn’t think about that.’ Shu says once they calm down, and Rikka smiles. ‘Shiki might have hard time waiting, though, his patience was wearing thin just before you appeared, Rikka.’

‘Don’t talk as if you weren’t the same.’ Shiki bites back without real anger.

‘Technically I still am.’ Shu says, and Rikka suddenly feels his own, as well as Shiki’s need to comfort younger vampire. There was just so much yearning and loneliness hidden in Shu’s voice.

‘They’ll appear eventually.’ he says gently. Shu looks at him, as if Rikka words had magical power. ’And when they do, they will be the best people for you and your Songs.’

Shu smiles, small, sad, yet hopeful smile.

‘I hope they’ll be as good as you’re to Shiki, Rikka.’

‘They’ll be better.’ Rikka says with all conviction he has, just to make it more real, and some sadness lifts from Shu’s blue eyes as he adds. ‘Good things become better with age, after all, like the wine.’

‘There you go, Rikka’s exotic upbringing coming to light again.’ Shiki casually teases, and Rikka bites back.

‘That’s common knowledge of anybody not shut in his office twenty four seven, Shiki.’

Shu just chuckles.

*

After Shiki returns from the High meeting he and Shu attend that night, he finally properly explains Shu’s situation, confirming Rikka’s suspicions.

‘Izumi isn’t a clan, they are a group.’ he says, offering Rikka a cup and taking a sip of his own coffee. Normally, Rikka would frown at coffee in the evening, but to vampires, time of the day played secondary role, and besides, they probably were going to talk for a long time anyway.

He doesn’t hurry Shiki as the vampire tries to find correct words.

‘The difference is... obviously, blood relation, there’s really no such thing between members of the group, even if they do treat each other like family, more or less. First, a group doesn’t consist of vampires only. There are also humans bearing name of Izumi, and consider them family. That’s why the group is one of the first places any clan turns to when there is a mediator between vampires and humans needed.’

He takes a mouthful of coffee and swallows, before continuing.

‘The High Vampires in the group are Leaders, obviously, but also mostly protectors. They’re the strongest and as such are top of the group’s hierarchy, but even then, they’re not necessarily related by blood. For example, Shu’s mother joined Izumi after giving birth to him, but the at the time leader adopted him as the son and named his successor. That’s why, when he died -protecting the group, obviously- they stayed around Shu to protect and raise him as the next head, and he will take over as soon as he could.’

Shiki looks into the flames that burn in the fireplace without any wood to support them - Rikka’s specific way of training his flame control.

‘You’ve gotten better at it.’ Shiki notices as a side comment, but Rikka is too ensnared by Izumi group tale to care.

‘As soon as possible, that means...’

‘...right now he’s still working together with the elders of the group, but as soon as he turns thirty, he’ll be expected to take over completely.’ Shiki confirms his suspicions. Thirty years of age, more or less seventeen in human years, barely a teenage for a vampire. To put him in the role of Leader...

‘They already are benefiting from having him ranked so high.’ Shiki continues, nursing his cup. ‘Shu has kindness mixed with cunning in perfect proportions for a Leader, and this throws off both humans and vampires alike, making them very cautious around the Izumis, even though the group is actually at its weakest still.’

‘It doesn’t throw you off?’ Rikka asks quietly, and Shiki chuckles.

‘And who do you think taught Shu how to be cunning?’

‘I see.’ Rikka smiles, before asking. ‘Did his gift as Composer also play a role?’

‘To me or to Izumis?’

‘Both.’

Shiki seems to be considering for a while.

‘I do think I had easier time connecting with Shu than with anybody else because he saw the world the same way I did. That’s probably also why I pushed him to become better, stronger, more cunning. Our skill is rare, and therefore many seek to use it.’ Shiki scowls at the memories. ‘Often without any consideration to music.’

‘Use it?’

‘Songs are powerful, Rikka. They can calm the flames, start a storm, burn the river, drown the waterfall; with the melody that fits you and your purpose, impossible is a really faraway word.’ Shiki looks him straight in the eye. ‘Question is, do you have what it takes to reign it. The Song you send my father’s way that day definitely had it.’

‘It was incomplete though.’ Rikka isn’t sure what prompted him to say that, but Shiki just nods.

‘It was. I’ll give it to you once I finish Composing it completely.’

‘I’m looking forward to it.’ Rikka answers with a tiny smile, before returning to a topic at hand. ‘So, Izumis are protected by Shu’s unpredictability and his worth as Composer. Then...’

He hesitates, he doesn’t really know the other vampire that well, but Shiki finishes for him.

‘Why he seems so lonely?’ when Rikka nods, he sighs. ‘There’s only so much people and vampires around you can understand when they’re not in your shoes. I can understand his struggles as a Composer. I find him a good friend.’

He stops there.

‘Don’t tell him I’ve said that.’ Rikka snorts with laughter but nods his acceptance of the request. Shiki continues with a sigh. ‘But, even when I will become head of Takamura, I won’t be able to really understand Shu struggles as head of the group. And even if I’m Composer like him, his music will be really understood only by those said music is entangled with. They will enhance his life, and make it seem so much more worth it, more than protecting his group ever will.’

‘Is that how you felt about picking me up?’ Rikka jokes, and is surprised when Shiki’s cheeks tinge pink.

‘I can’t say it’s not.’

‘Awww.’

‘Oi, Rikka.’

His Changer clearly embarrassed now, Rikka takes pity on Shiki and redirects the talk back onto Shu.

‘I hope he’ll meet them soon.’

Shiki just grunts in agreement, both of them content to just stare at the flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry to Quell fans, I decided to post those prequels following the order of Units formations (in ALIVE's case, I decided on the order based on Tsukipro's order of episodes dedicated for them, so. Second apologies to Growth's fans, although I DID start writing pieces for those units...)  
> Also, kind of small interesting facrt about this piece: I made this draft all the way back in March, but promised myself that, until the first arc's climax chapter isn't somewhat finished, I won't post it.  
> Guess what, this draft would be deleted in some 14ish hours, and I still have paragraphs to add to the final chapter. However, I got through a scene that caused me headache, so I decided to post the first chapter, as a treat to myself xD


	2. Cross notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I'm very bad at titling my works, so.  
> I'm borrowing Takizawa-sensei's titles (it's fun to fit the title of the song to the chapter without using them too achronologically or using a title of the song belonging to character not yet present in the story (Dai and Tsubasa fans, I'm sorry, but it'll take a while for them to show up -,-')

Second year since Rikka’s Change passes like that, Rikka molding into Shiki’s life, cautiously meeting vampires and learning how to behave around them based on their relationship with Shiki. He learns how to control the flame better, and even forms a cautious friendship with Shiki’s younger brother, enough to keep a hand on the pulse (no pun intended, no matter how slow it was for vampires) of their relationship and to intervene when it frayed through outer interventions meant to split the brothers and divide the Takamura clan. Third year brings a change, as the summer residence is visited by the humans not belonging to the Izumi group.

Rikka is informed through a mental link he has developed with Shiki, and walks into the room already prepared with tray full of teacups, but falters at the sense of tension in the room.

The humans that sit or stand on the side of table opposite to Shiki aren’t regular, even he can tell that much. They’re in what Rikka could describe as green uniforms, if they weren’t as divided in style as ages of the group.

It doesn’t help that before he is able to grasp situation properly, all their gazes focus on him as one- he’s not been under so much scruntity in a long time. He tilts his head in confusion, old habits from his modelling days resurfacing, shaping his face into mildly interested mask with no other feelings expressed on it.

‘Shiki?’ He asks his Changer, and purple haired vampire acknowledges him with a nod before turning back to their guests, still eyeing Rikka warily.

‘I thought you might want to listen to the direct recollection from the witness of the case you’re working on- well, I think you would’ve labeled Rikka as a victim, though.’

Rikka’s hands stiffen on handles of the tray, vivid memory of a moonless night flashing before his eyes.

‘Yes, these men are here to ask about that night, Rikka.’

Rikka takes a breath to calm himself down, before turning to Shiki with a smile. It probably looked dangerous, but oh well.

‘I see. Can you warn me next time?’

‘There won’t be next, hopefully.’ Shiki looks at him, completely ignoring the shifting humans in front of him. ‘Does it bother you that much?’

Rikka feels his temper rise, but doesn’t let it show. He doesn’t quite trust the hunters to understand the complexity of being Shiki’s Changed. That apparently include dealing with his lack of emotional imagination, even after two years of living with former human.

‘That you ask me to come meet guests we have over without warning me they are hunters here to investigate the night I almost died? Yes, Shiki, I think it is something that would bother me.’

Shiki hums in thought with his head lowered for a moment, before seemingly coming to understand Rikka’s logic.

‘I see, so that’s how it looked on your end.’ he looks sincerly troubled. ‘It was the night filled with music for me, so.’

Rikka sighed, that was _so Shiki_ he couldn’t even stay angry.

‘You cannot grasp the idea of something bad being associated with the music. I know.’

He starts playing with his hair unconsciously, as he turns his attention away from his Changer, sculpting a pleasant smile onto his face.

‘Sorry about that. Shiki mentioned you have questions?’

The one at the front, the only one sitting, Rikka notices, nods his head confidently. He must be a leader.

 _„Azuma Riki”_ Shiki informs him through their link, sounding apologetic. Rikka makes sure not to change his expression; while delayed, Shiki seriously does analyze his actions and feels regret for them, but that doesn't mean he has to let hunters know it.

‘Three years ago, at the premise of the Takamura domain, two vampires attacked a villager.’ Azuma starts, looking at Rikka for any sign of recollection. ‘He got away, but said there was a beautiful stranger that they turned their sights on.’

 _„More like the stranger mixed in between him and those vampires.”_ Rikka thinks to himself, nodding at the man to continue.

‘The villager got so scared he only managed to spill to his family what happened before falling sick out of fear, but his son informed a travelling hunter stationing in the neighboring village. The hunter took it to his guild, and that’s how the case came into our hands.’

Azuma leaned forward, staring at Rikka intently.

‘Our troops got there too late to find a corpse, but we found enough proof that there was a victim of the attack, which enables us to conduct research. As you know the treaties between humans and vampires around here state that any feeding with lethal effects will be investigated by hunters.’

He looked Rikka up and down.

‘The villager stated the vampires were „lean, tall, and with aura of otherworldness”.’ Rikka has a budding feeling that this man has some theory leading to some major misunderstanding. ‘Mr Takamura here, after learning what we came for, called you in, apparently-’

They did knew of the mental link, but not when it was used.

‘I was there that night.’ he interrupts the hunter softly. ‘But not in the role you’re assuming I was in.’

He spreads his hands to the side, noting how some of the assistants took a step back, while some reached for their weapons. There was one, however, that remained as unmovable as their leader. Rikka caught sight of golden hair - atypical for this region - peeking from under the hood he wore.

‘If I understood Shiki’s explanations correctly, I have this body only since after that unfortunate meeting.’ he said, trying not to scowl, or let sarcasm drip into his voice. ‘Or more like, my body is in this form only since then. I was born human.’

Now there’s a silent ‘oh’ coming from hooded hunter. He seems to have connected dots quicker than their leader, because Azuma inquires.

‘So you’re saying you were the victim? But I see no scars-’

‘He’s a Changed, Riki-san. Probably of that guy in the armchair.’ Hooded hunter interrupts him, leaning over back of other human’s chair. Azuma scowls.

‘Kid, don’t interrupt.’

‘Excuse you?! I’m twenty five, have a child back home, and one more on its’ way. Just because you’re an old plank that refused to retire and is now forced to work with guys half your age doesn’t mean everybody else is a kid.’

Azuma scowls, and Rikka looks on with interest, the one apparently shared with Shiki. The mysterious man had warm and self-assured voice with cheerful note to it, and much more youthful moves than most other hunters, yet he also seemed to be on even terms with their leader.

‘Don’t start a discord in front of potential targets, Okui.’ Azuma growls, and Rikka feels name click in Shiki’s head.

‘Okui Kumo, I see.’ Shiki speaks up loudly, gathering attention of everybody in the room, person mentioned included. Rikka catches sight of dark-very dark- brown eyes that seem to shine with specks of gold, when Kumo raises his head. ‘The newest head of the Okui family. Nice to meet you. He’s older than you, Rikka.’

‘And younger than you, Shiki.’ Rikka replies without missing a beat. Shiki smirks, seeing baffled stares of people looking between him and Okui, comparing his looking-sixteen body with that of a fully grown man. Who flops on the backrest with a whine.

‘That’s why it’s annoying to deal with younger generation, at least with adult Highs you know you’re talking to a fossil.’

Rikka stifles a surprised chuckle at that, and can see Shiki nod, his amusement transferring over their link.

‘I can’t disagree on the last part.’

‘So~ since you called this Big Bro- ah sorry, you just said he was younger, um-’

‘I’m Sera Rikka.’ Rikka decides to finally introduce himself, and Okui puts his hood down, letting his hair and low ponytail come to light, along with a rune-like tattoo shining slightly on his cheek. Azuma chokes.

‘Since when did you-’

‘Ever since Sera came into the room~so that I know nobody tries to mess with me.’

Rikka looks confused at Shiki, but his Changer is focused on the blonde hunter. He does answer Rikka’s unasked question through their link.

 _„It’s an activated glyph. This one is designed to feel changes in the aura that would be created by lies, or connections like our link. They’re pretty high-spec and hard to control, though_.”

Rikka looks back at the blond with respect. He winks back at him.

‘Discussed everything with your Master already?’

Rikka catches on after a second. Right, the man can feel them using the link, but not the content.

‘Not really; I was a travelling model before, so most of what makes-’ he made a general gesture embracing the vampire, the hunters and rest of the room. ‘-this reality, is novel to me. Shiki helps me understand it. As for the Master thing...’ he trails off, now that he thinks about it, isn’t that the normal relationship between Changed and it’s Changer? But he doesn’t feel like this is the relationship he has with Shiki.

‘Rikka’s my Changed, not servant.’ Shiki agrees with his thoughts. ‘He didn’t ask to be Changed in the first place, I did it out of my own needs. He’s free to come and leave as he pleases, that much I’m obliged to give him after barging into his life.’

‘Ending of it.’ Rikka corrected, deciding to finally busy himself with brought tea. ‘I was dying when we met, remember? You even asked me about that.’

‘I did?’ Shiki frowned. ‘Sorry, I only remember-’

_„Your Song.”_

‘I know.’ Rikka said with a smile, heating up the pot between his hands. His daily elemental training seemed to come in handy in situations like this. Perks of being Changed without regular blocks preventing his power from growing to be on par with his Changer. ‘Tea?’

‘Me, me!’ Okui waves his hand, and Azuma scowls.

‘Accepting-’

‘-any food from a potential target is dumb and reckless.’ Okui casually finishes, taking the cup from Rikka’s hand with a nod of thanks. ‘But if I got the story right, he’s the „corpse” we didn’t find at first, so technically he isn’t potential target- unless we have vampires with cannibalism fetish in the group?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Azuma loses his temper, before gathering himself, quietly muttering to himself. Rikka still catches the ‘that’s why Okuis are the worst’, even as he forwards the cup to Shiki, who takes it without taking his eyes off the group in front of him.

‘If you may, maybe tell us the story you presume is Rikka’s, Okui-san. He won’t have to tell it himself that way, and you still will get the confirmation.’

Much to Rikka’s surprise, Shiki isn’t acknowledged until the Hunter takes a sip of his drink and comments on it.

‘Whoa, this is really good, almost as good as Nene’s. That’s my wife.’ he explains in the face of confused Rikka. He seems to be the one with his guard lowered the most, visibly trying to be friendly, but Rikka can’t help but feel that the glyph on man’s cheek isn’t the only surprise he hides up his sleeve. Or face. Or wherever.

‘Anyway, the villager mentioned a beautiful stranger that got involved in his story. No idea if he brushed it up a bit, since I’ve heard the story third or fourth handed so-’ he brushes the sign on his cheek. ‘-no chance on checking the aura of someone who wasn’t there, right. Anyway. Presuming the vampires had no connections to Takamuras-’

‘They didn’t.’ Shiki confirmed without explaining how he was so sure. Rikka had an uneasy feeling it was connected with why he has never had a nightmare regarding that night.

_„Sorry. Thought it will be easier?”_

_„It’s fine. Tell me what did you do later, though.”_

_„Deal.”_

‘I suspect Rikka was dropped off here to put a discord between us and the humans; though, aside of me, nobody from the family was at the summer residence at the time.’

Okui raises an eyebrow.

‘And the reason was-?’

‘Not related to the case.’ casually retorts Shiki, maintaining a full eye contact.

‘Eeeh~Now I’m just curious...’ Okui whines. Shiki raises an eyebrow, before looking at the leader of the hunters. Azuma massages his temples.

‘Okui. Continue what you started.’ _„So I can strangle you afterwards”_ was written all over his face. For some reason, Rikka sincerely doubted there will be any death involved.

‘Okay, okay. So, the vampires were not connected to the Takamuras and wanted to drop a pig into backyard of a cohabiting High Clan.’ Okui stopped to look at Rikka. ‘Though you’re a bit too pretty for a pig.’

‘Let’s stay by the corpse then.’ Rikka offers, amusement from the exchange with Okui mixing with his own dark humor. ‘That one would fit. Kind of.’

‘Bullseye, huh.’ Okui mumbles to himself, before rising his voice, pointing out the window. ‘They switched from the farmer to you, dragged you off to the forest out there and finished?’

Quick, concise and almost to the point of clairvoyance. Part of Rikka is absolutely impressed, the one that isn’t struggling to stop the flames from exploding around him in self defense, because _each word_ serves to revive images in his mind, the ones somehow locked away up until now.

‘Not finished but left to finish off itself.’ he somehow manages to choke out.

‘And it succeeded?’ Okui digs deeper, amusement gone from his voice completely. Rikka can’t answer.

Shiki looks at him concerned, but he’s not seeing that. It’s only when the High speaks up does Rikka registers where he is again.

‘Rikka!’

‘Shiki?’ He looks back, and into purple eyes, letting Shiki see into what his mind sees. Other vampire frowns.

‘That’s one heck of a delayed reaction.’ he comments, and Rikka feels High’s power invade him like a heatwave. ‘You wouldn’t be able to feel any of what you’re feeling right now if you died even for a second there, Rikka. Change doesn’t work on corpses.’

There’s a microsecond of hesitation before he continues.

‘And even if you came back from other side, your songs wouldn’t come back with you. And they’re still there.’

‘I kneeew it~’ Okui sing-songs, and Shiki glares at him. Rikka discretely wipes at his eyes, getting his breathing under control, still under careful surveillance of Shiki’s power. Once he pushes back at it, though, Shiki withdraws without questioning him. ‘You’re a Composer, aren’t you? That’s why you stick to abandoned residence.’

‘It’s not-’

‘Abandoned? Even though you call it summer residence, you’re the only one who uses it though, even in summer, from what you’ve told us.’ Okui points out, and well, neither Rikka, nor Shiki can deny that. ‘And none of human servants stay the night here, I checked with the maids~’

‘You weren’t flirt-’ there’s a younger, much more incredulous voice coming from beside Azuma’s chair, and predictably, once Azuma sends a glare his way, younger hunter cuts himself off.

‘Weren’t _just_ flirting.’ Okui corrects his colleague with a wink, but Rikka isn’t fooled anymore; he’s quite sure now, Okui is most experienced of the Hunters in the room, probably on par or better than Azuma, a man twice his age. He still chooses to play along.

‘Would Nene-san approve of that?’ he asks innocently, and Okui marks a hit to heart.

‘Touche, Rikka!’ he reconsiders quickly. ‘Though I probably deserved that one.’

Rikka doesn’t deny it.

‘But, too bad, Nenecchi is a Hunter like me, probably even more fearsome than me. She knows the worth of good info.’ Okui relaxes back into his previous position. ‘And the fact that up until you’ve showed up, the bocchama over there was spending the nights all alone is a gold nugget.’

‘You suspect I still had something to do with what happened.’ Shiki doesn’t ask. Okui keeps the eye contact with him.

‘I cannot exclude this option; from your interactions, you have absolute power over Rikka’s mind that you don’t use only out of your own will. There’s no guarantee you didn’t switch things up in his memories to redirect suspicions away.’

‘And I’d try to kill one of the Singers directly connected to me because?’ Shiki doesn’t seem to take offence to being suspected. Rikka observes the exchange, regaining all of his bearings.

‘Going deep into field I’m not familiar in here, aren’t we?’

Shiki rolled his eyes.

‘Believe it or not, just because we see Songs of other people doesn’t mean we naturally don’t have our own, or their variations connected with other people. Rikka is one of Singers connected to mine, but death cannot sing, while vampires, even Changed, can. End of my side. Familiar enough now?’

‘Is he like that all the time?’ Okui turns to Rikka, and former model smiles. ‘I’m starting to feel sorry for you on a different level.’

‘You can get used to it.’ Rikka smiles. ‘He’s disconnected from this world every time he Composes, though, and most of it takes place at night, so I’m afraid this line of thought is a dead end.’

‘And you know because?’

‘Because I’m the only person who, instead of waiting for Shiki to collapse, can knock him out of the trance without being burned to a crisp?’ Rikka tilts his head and rises one finger. Pale pink flame flickers to life on the tip of it. ‘Since my fire’s directly derived from Shiki’s.’

‘That’s actually interesting.’ Okui tilts as if trying to look from a completely different perspective at the tiny flame, but he directs his next comment to Shiki. ‘You were serious when you were saying Rikka’s pretty much free, weren’t you.’

Shiki only snorts.

‘Okay, so, I guess I can for now assume Takamuras weren’t involved too much into the case. Rikkaaa, can you describe your attackers?’

He switches from one topic to the next and hits you with hard question before you can see it coming. Rikka now understood what Azuma meant by ‘the worst’.

‘Tall and slim, shiny teeth.’ yeah, well, not going to help. Rikka takes a deep breath and tries to recall more. He remembers light reflexes. ‘One of them had bright red hair. The other...much darker, I think brown. Eyes...not sure but they almost seemed to flash yellow-’

‘Them!’ Shiki uncharacteristically hisses with venom, crushing a cup in his hand. Okui nods as Rikka rushes to dry spilled tea with a cloth brought on tray and then checks on Shiki’s hand.

‘Parasites.’ Okui announces, and High seems to agree with him. Then Hunter massages his temples. ‘This makes it a bit harder to deal with, though. You sure you’re not involved? Would save me time.’

‘Is that time for the jokes?’ Shiki growls, and Rikka feels his mix of irritation and anger.

‘Have to deal with being stuck with this team for gods know how much longer and not seeing Nene for just as long.’ Okui sighs, much to other hunters’ displeasure.

Rikka doesn’t speak up, but he stares at Shiki with enough intensity to burn a hole in his forehead.

At the same time, younger hunter speaks up.

‘A penny for explaining whatever’s going on here.’

‘Clan of Wanderers is what is going on.’ Okui says. Azuma sighs with his hand on his face.

‘Are you sure?’

‘No doubt. I have one in my family.’ Casually answers Kumo, startling literally everyone in the room.

‘Pardon me?’ Azuma turns his head, for the first time losing Shiki from his sight completely.

‘Not related directly to me but like...my cousin’s mother is a child of human hunter and vampire that lost to her? Or something like that.’ Okui seems unbothered as he points at his face. ‘The yellowish eyes are the trademark of theirs.’

He suddenly lowers his hand.

‘Actually, maybe I should pay a visit home.’ he muses, his eyes clouding over the slightest bit. ‘Grandma might have an idea what to look for around here.’

He looks at Rikka, and the apologetic expression he makes seem genuine.

‘And preferably not send you into PTSD again- sorry about that!’

Rikka nods, too preoccupied with the questions swirling around in his head.

What the hell were Clan of Wanderers?

‘ _A bunch of vampires that live parasitic lives of exploiting one place dry, then moving over to the next, as opposed to vampires who simply choose to travel, or settle down and cultivate in one place. They don’t respect any rules, and I hope I don’t have to say borders don’t exist for them. It’s mainly because of them human race fears meeting with us, even in age of coexistence.’_ Shiki sends through their connection, and Rikka doesn’t ask for more. Having someone like that appear on the land you technically govern must be irritiating, especially when all you want to do is create music.

Okui snaps his fingers and all attention focuses on him, which doesn’t seem to bother him in the least. Seemingly nothing can bother him. Or at least, bother him for long.

‘Speaking of family. How did that go for you?’ he directs to Rikka. ‘I imagine three-ish years is short to get used to being vampire and not a corpse, but did you contact them or anything?’

‘Here goes your not throwing anybody into PTSD.’ Azuma dryly notes. Shiki observes as Rikka lowers his head to look at his entwined hands.

‘We’re- no, we were a family of travellers. It’s possible they didn’t realize I was in this predicament in the first place, since my orders required me to stay in one place much longer than theirs. Ah, they were, um, are wandering musician and dancer pair, so they travel from one market to the other, provided they don’t receive requests to perform. That’s why I was travelling alone in the first place.’

‘But you have to have some rendez-vous point or, I don’t know, a place to stay for winter?’

‘The village I was born in.’ Rikka smiles to his memories, before that smile fades. ‘It doesn’t take well to outsiders, though. Even father was scruntized until I was born... I don’t think a vampire would be welcome there, not to mention it’s travel season once again...’

And he feels guilty for not contacting his parents, to be honest. They weren’t the youngest when they had him, after all... Shiki has warned him that now that he and his body work on vampire time, it might prove difficult to remember human life runs much quicker. He shouldn’t have forgotten that.

Okui sat down next to Azuma’s chair, to be on eye level with Rikka, still kneeling next to the low table.

‘I’m not saying you should go, since Change usually require some time in close proximity to the Changer.’

‘And how do you-’

‘Okui aren’t hunters exclusively, and research branch shares their discoveries with us. They can be scarier than us, so don't underestimate them.’ Okui waves away the question, his focus on Rikka. ‘But you were on your way there when you were attacked, which means the road the vampires used lead there as well. We might be able to visit there, and leave a message, or something, from you.’

‘Why would you do that?’ Rikka is pessimistic.

‘Casual human decency? I had both parents too, till last year.’ Casually remarks Kumo. Rikka blinks.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘They got to see their granddaughter, and dad will be able to see his other grandchild hopefully, so it’s okay.’ Okui shrugs, but his focus is still on Rikka. ‘I’m not going to pressure you or anything, since I do care about my life for all I behave, and I’ve heard legends about Composers being possessive of their Singers, but think of them, too, alright? If not me, send message through somebody else. Soon, preferably, before they really take you for the dead.’

‘I’ll consider your words.’ Rikka answers and means just that. He never was the man to discard sincere advice.

‘For now though, you should probably go back.’ Shiki said, pointedly looking at the sky darkening behind the windows. ‘Or you’ll be returning without guides, as our servants should be leaving very soon. Unless you wish to stay the night?’

‘We don’t have any further business here, so we’ll take our leave. Though, we hope for your further cooperation if the need arise.’ Azuma states, rising from his seat, and dragging Okui up by his collar. ‘You, get up.’

‘I would, if you’d let me!’

‘I will walk you back.’ Rikka states, smiling just slightest bit at the scene in front of him, as Okui pouts.

‘This is to prevent me from flirting with your cute maids, isn’t it.’ he crosses his arms, still hanging from Azuma’s grasp, and Rikka cannot help but be reminded of a sulky cat.

‘Mostly, yes, but Shiki also has found a melody he feels like he should Compose, and I don’t want to intrude too much. Now.’

‘You’re not intruding, Rikka.’ Shiki says, absentmindedly, his finger tracing the pattern of the scoresheet on the table in front of him. Then he stops, as thought occurs to him. ‘Usually.’

Rikka, who's caught the thought through their link, chuckles.

‘I will come disturb you to go to sleep in few hours from now on, so make the best out of this time.’

He walks the Hunters out of the room, and seconds after the door closes after last of them, he can feel familiar buzz of music filling his Changer. He smiles.

*

He does follow through with his promise to Okui and with next visit of Shu, passes a short message. Izumi group, spread all over the country, included travelers like the pre-Changed himself, so they weren’t really troubled by the request of passing a message if they meet a pair of entertainers, one with clearly foreign descent. One merchant from the group got tasked with passing the same message to his birth village, if he ever crosses there. Rikka advised doing so if the merchant was interested in flowers- his childhood friend’s family had one of the most beautiful garden, from which they regularly sold the flowers to a nearby estate, even nobles unable to resist the temptation of their beauty.

With that, half a year has passed, and Rikka’s wanderer side has started to wake. He wasn’t the one who noticed it, though.

‘Rikka.’ Shiki says from above the scoresheet one day and Rikka startles, turning back from the window. ‘I meant it when I said you’re free to go wherever and whenever you want, back when we first talked, you know.’

‘I know.’ Rikka smiles, but Shiki, instead of returning to his music, quirks an eyebrow at him, as if to say “really?”. Rikka shrugs. ‘Am I an eyesore?’

Shiki, instead of instantly denying him like any decent person would, lowers paper to look straight at him, and Rikka shifts under this stare.

‘Like this, kind of.’ finally, Shiki passes his judgement, and Rikka stares.

‘Pardon?’

Shiki shrugs.

‘You take care of yourself like always on the outside, but inside you feel like something is leaking out of you, and you yearn to get it back, but don’t make a move to get it. So, kind of.’

Rikka stares. Then blinks and stares some more. Finally, he asks.

‘I look like that to you? Empty?’

‘Not yet. But-’ Shiki raises the score he keeps in hand. ‘Like a scoresheet from which notes keep leaking away instead of filling it up. Whenever I have this problem, you tell me to take a break or take a walk, so. I’m telling you the same.’

Rikka exhales slowly.

‘That’s what you meant to say.’ he keeps thinking he’s used to his Changer and his crude way of being, but then- he always jumps out with something like that. Rikka can’t decide if he’s amused or annoyed. He ponders a bit. It’s actually cute, so, maybe leaning towards amused there. Still, better not tell him that.

‘I’ve caught that, though.’ Shiki answers his thoughts, and Rikka chuckles.

‘Soon we won’t even have to use our voices.’

‘We will have to.’ Shiki waves the score. ‘Composer, remember?’

‘Singer, remember.’ Rikka answers with another chuckle, then asks. ‘Though if I leave, will you be fine by yourself again?’

Over the four years, Rikka took it upon himself to manage communication with the staff, food provisions, and many little things by now he was sure Shiki didn’t even register anymore. However, his Changer just snorts, and answer him through the link.

_“You can pester me about self management through that, on shorter distances it doesn’t weaken at all anymore, even if you take a longer absence.”_

_“What’s a short distance then?”_ Rikka sends back.

 _“Takamura domain?”_ answers Shiki after few seconds. _“The distance should grow with time, though.”_

 _“And if I go out of bounds?”_ Rikka asks, trying to ignore fact Shiki considers terrain that would take grown adult weeks to cross on foot a ‘short distance’.

_“It will weaken, and will take more effort to contact, but it won’t disappear. Not anymore.”_

‘So you really don’t have to jail yourself in there for my sake, Rikka.’

He smiles softly.

‘I understand.’

_“But you’ll let me prepare right?”_

Shiki snorts.

‘Take your time.’

_„And let me know if you need anything.”_

_*_

He leaves a week after that talk.

True to his words he needs to prepare, reawaken his traveller instincts, and make sure everybody in the castle knew Shiki was once more in dire need of somebody to remind him of existence of his bed. Not that he didn’t plan to do it himself, through the link, but just in case. Sometimes, you needed someone to drag your Changer physically, while you distracted them from setting fire to the disturbance mentally. There are few brave maids who volunteer to make sure to ask Shiki whether he has slept at least once every twenty four hours, and Rikka guesses he cannot arrange anything better.

He does few timid trips to neighboring villages first, a lone vampire getting mixed reactions from their inhabitants, but they only let him gauge what’s changed compared to his travels as a human.

He leaves at sunset, together with residence workers. Shiki walks them to the gate, then waves awkwardly. Rikka doesn’t mind it, their connection conveying what the vampire wanted to put into words but couldn’t.

_Go be free, and if the world becomes too much, if your fear does become true and there is no longer a place for you to belong to, come back. There will always be a place for you here._

He wonders if he should be worried that Shiki chooses the easy way to communicate, but then again. He’s not good with showing his real emotions either.

When Shiki calls out to him, stopping him in his tracks as High Vampire catches up to them, folded sheets in his hand, he doesn’t realize the innocent papers hold the key for Rikka to change that weakness of his.

‘It’s almost finished. The only thing I cannot come up with is the title, but since it’s your Song, I figured it’s something you’ll discover yourself. Just remember to tell me.’

Rikka chuckles, but it’s mosty to hide the sudden pull in his chest at the sight of the notes on the paper. This is what Shiki has worked tirelessly on for the past week, none other project of his even touched.

‘I will. As soon as I work it out myself.’

*

He travels further with a heart beating too quick for a vampire. Gets an order in the second town he visits, a painter desperate enough to hire him even after he reveals who he is, going as far as to offer his blood in exchange for the muse.

Rikka refuses to feed, his connection with Shiki still strong enough for his body. He stays for a month, disappearing with his payment as soon as he catches air of first displeased voices of a ‘goddam Leannán sí’ possessing their painter. He leaves a letter, single assurance that the final work will turn out well with painter’s talent. He’s no artist himself, but. He has deep, mental connection to an almost extinct type of artisan, he should know skill when he sees one.

Just like that, another half a year passes, him taking small orders and moving as soon as he catches air of fear or anger caused by his existence, and his heart finally settle enough for him to take the way he’s travelled through since he was a child. Perfectly, as the season ends, and his parents would probably move back just before he will come visit. Yes, visit; he cannot stay in that village anymore, not in the way he was right now.

Rikka thinks he should be more worried about the fact he doesn’t seem to mind staying the vampire, instead of searching for a way to change it.

He isn’t though, and he feels that the warm fire burning in his chest has something to do with it.

He smiles when he reaches the entry to the village, his connection with Shiki strong, even if stretched; who would have thought he was born at the very border to Takamura’s domain?

His smile fades as he takes into familiar, yet no longer settling image his village has changed into.

No children playing on the streets, not even a chicken wandering around, previously lush shrubbery at the roadsides and in between houses thinned out and almost drying... the village looked almost as if it was visited by a plague, and Rikka frowns in concern, making a step forward.

The energy wave that spread from where he stepped on startles him, but it wasn’t hostile; it seemed to be a lookout and besides....

Rikka smiled as the pale gold faded from his vision. He knew this aura, and the aura knew him, scanning him throughout all of the investigation a year ago.

He makes sure not to hide from Okui’s energy even as he shelves a question of what hunter’s leader was doing in his village for later.

His house is one of the first on this side of the village. Well, more than a house, it’s a small cottage, with minimalist garden his mother insisted on having despite being away for the better part of the year.

He notices that even flowers whose regular blooming time fell on that month were already dropping their buds. He gets an unsettling feeling, but he pushes the gate anyway.

Stopping at the very doorstep, he hesitates, before raising his hand to knock.

It does feel weird, knocking on his own home’s door, but at the same time, he haven’t been there for over three, almost four years... He knocks once, then gives three rapid taps and one final knock, a signal they’ve set up much, much earlier, back when they had to separate for the very first time, and Rikka’s heart beat with youthful nervousness.

It’s beating with a nervousness of a completely different kind than before, at least until the words of foreign speech flow over him, in some weird twist of irony causing a wave of calmth to wash over him.

 _‘Rikka, es tu?_ ’ The voice is warm, deep and worn with the laughter. Still Rikka cannot help but feel it is also matted with tension, something that wasn’t there before. He still needs to swallow before answering softly.

_‘Oui, maman.’_

The door fly open and Rikka drops his travel bag to catch the tiny woman into his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leannan si is a celtic(?) demon similar to sukkubus, possesing artists and feeding on their love and adoration, in return granting the spike in people's talent. Whether because of the love or the power of the demon, artists possesed by them eventually succumb to madness and die soon afterwards.  
> Also, expect LOTS of French next chapter (I'm still struggling with the skin allowing me to have the hover translation over the lines, but! It's progressing!)
> 
> Thanks for reading, stay safe and see you next month (hopefully) for next chapter of Burny!


	3. Goodnight My Darling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rikka's arc climax! Suffer with me (and my terrible French-btw, turn on work's skin for translation of longer parts if you're not confident/ know French too well to understand a high school level butchered one. If you don't, some lines might look like links but they are not links, so don't worry)  
> Enjoy?

The only thing he got from his father was his height, he remembers his parents often teasing each other over that. Now, looking at the woman in his arms, he wonders where the teenage Rikka took his confidence to contest the statement.

His mother’s hair brightened to powder pink with age, but he still remembers brushing locks of hair as dark as his own and then having the favor returned. Her eyes also paled, but rims of the pupils stayed dark pink, cutting away from bright whites. Her face, now marred with labirynth of wrinkles, was once a splitting image of Rikka’s. The only thing differentiating their looks was their height, even the graceful, dance-like way they moved identical.

He got his father’s long, musician’s fingers though. He almost laughs at the childish thought.

‘Welcome back, Rikka.’ his mother greets, squeezing his chest with her whole power, and Rikka feels like sobbing. She raises her smiling- blindingly bright- face up, and opens mouth, no questions about what took him so long, why he only contacted them once. ‘Come on in, you must be tired. I was just making dinner.’

‘I’m back.’ he says in small voice, letting the woman pull him into the house.

‘ _Rikka.’_ the voice. It summons memories of countless nights of watching the nimble fingers strum the lute, search for the tune that will answer his mother’s movements, emphasize their beauty, cheer the people coming to watch them. The voice of safety and security, voice of the man Rikka looked up to for most of his childhood as his idol. His father. _‘Tu revenue?’_

 _‘Oui, papa. Je suis desolee, je suis retard.’_ did it count for being late if it literally has been years? Rikka has no idea, but if he tries to form any other sentiment he feels right now, he might cry for real, and they still weren’t over the worst part. Rikka has felt it ever since entering the village, the aura that hasn’t been there before. He’s distracted by his mother pulling his sleeve. He leans down.

‘Go greet your father. He refuses to speak this language now, but will understand you, even if you forget words in his, so don’t worry.’

‘Refuses?’ Rikka blinks, his father has learned his mother’s language for her, just as she did for him. They would talk in a mix of the two at home all the time, Rikka naturally picking up both (even if he used to mix up words, expecting everyone to know what the hell a _pinceau plus fin_ was, when some didn’t even knew brushes had different sizes). His mother’s smile becomes strained.

‘It’s nothing bad.’ she assures him, before pushing him towards his father. ‘I’ll prepare food.’

‘ _Mon fils._ ’ as if to help his mother get rid of him, his father beckons him closer. Only when he’s closer does Rikka realize his father’s skin is pulled over his bones, and he’s laying down on the bed, not even changed for his day clothes. He doesn’t smell illness though, vampire thinks somewhat panicked, leaning down to press his lips briefly to the bony hand with long fingers (he was right, he got those after his father). What was going on?

 _‘_ _Comment étais-tu?’_ '

 _‘Bien, merci.’_ he answers on autopilot, still scanning his father’s face. He tells him about few orders he got on the way to the village, both pre and after Changing, as was customary for them, before asking. ‘ _Et tu?_ ’

His father smiles, a warm expression, his eyes catching and following silhouette of Rikka's mother, shuffling around in the small space near the back wall that served as their kitchen.

‘ _Je vis avec mon rêve._ ’

The simple statement he’s heard ever since he was born. I live with my dream. Not „in a dream” but with it. The sentiment makes his mother’s hands shake, he can hear clatter of the pot. Normally, she would just chuckle.

‘ _Me aussi, mon amor._ ’ she speaks softly, accent foreign to her tongue, too soft for her husband to catch the undertone of desperation in her voice. Not soft enough for Rikka’s enhanced senses.

‘Mother? What is going on?’ He asks, standing, but she just shakes her head, a smile on her face as she turns to them.

‘You came back. This is all that matters today. Let’s eat!’ she says, and cheer in her voice is almost genuine. Rikka nods, dumbfounded.

The stew is simple but delicious, the staple of his mother’s repertoire, which she can do on almost anything. His father needs help to sit up, but he eats on his own, urging Rikka to tell him more about his travels.

Rikka obeys, even though all he wishes for is to ask what’s going on, what has happened, to both his parents and the village.

After the meal, his mother raises to gather their bowls and as a result, her braid slips off her shoulder, revealing her neck.

Rikka’s blood goes cold. He catches his mother’s hand, stopping her movements, and brushes rest of her hair away. She goes very still.

‘What are those.’ Rikka asks, even as he very well can see, even in the dim light of their room, the twin dots on the bruised skin on his mother’s shoulder, awakening memories Shiki hid for his sake once.

That night, once again, only he’s not the victim now, but it only makes things worse.

‘Rikka...’ his mother turns pleading eyes at him, begging not to ask for more, but it’s his father who answers.

‘ _A monstre._ ’ he says simply, and Rikka looks at him, eyes wide with horrified realization. Musician smiles tiredly, and throws his head back, letting his other shoulder and collarbone, until now hidden by the mid-length dark hair come to Rikka’s view. ‘ _Oui, mon fils. Me aussi._ ’

He traces the bites, the wide gashes and comes to realization; his father fought the vampires.

‘ _Porque_ ’

‘ _Je vis avec mon_ _rêve.’_ he repeats simply.’ _Et mon rêve est mon trésor.’_

My dream is my treasure.

Rikka has heard enough. Standing up, he notes at the back of his mind that that’s probably why Okui was in his village, but the thought flies away soon after it appears. His father fought for his mother’s safety until he couldn’t get up from bed. His refusal to speak his mother's language probably had to do with _them_ too. Rikka was his son, and it was his duty to take over protecting the family now, especially since, different to his father, he now had the power to do so. At the thought, the rage he feels evaporates, replaced with dread.

He was now what has hurt his parents. He was the same, and he invited himself into their house, without warning them, without making any remark as to his new form, nothing. If they knew, they would be terrified, wouldn’t they? And in their current state - he suddenly realizes that his mother looks smaller because she really got smaller, thinner, almost fragile- what would the shock to having just eaten with a vampire make to their bodies?

He needed to get away, before he hurt them.

‘Rikka, please-’ his mother drops the plates to catch his suddenly withdrawing hand. ‘Don’t be reckless.’

‘I’m-’ Rikka swallows. ‘I’m not.’

‘ _Rikka_.’ his father speaks up slowly. ‘ _Tu es mon_ _trésor aussi.’_

You're my treasure as well.

He takes a breath. It’s going to be hard, with his mother eyes pleading him to calm down and sit, and his father’s serious tone making the sentiment all the more real. But, he doesn’t deserve it. Not when he didn’t protect them.

He comes up with a lie quickly.

‘They took over the village, didn’t they?’ when his parents nod slowly, he smiles, a close lipped smile. ‘If I don’t announce myself, they will think you’re hiding me. I’ll just go and make sure this doesn’t happen.’

‘No!’

His mother holds him back. He doesn’t tear from her hold only because he once again notices how fragile she looks. Her eyes though... they say she’s seen right through him, right through his lie. Almost as if she’s seen that he was about to march into the main building of the village, sure the vampire made it their stronghold, and give them hell, hypothetically and literally. Probably burn down as a result.

‘Rikka, don’t go.’ she pleads. ‘I- We just got you back.’

Rikka swallows.

‘If I don’t go, they will come here.’

‘ _Rikka_.’ his father’s tone is stern, even if it cracks from weariness. ‘ _Ills sont monstre, nous sont homme et-_’

‘ _Non, papa._ ’ Rikka suddenly feels very fragile, but his father statement is no longer correct. He probably shouldn’t use it on his parents, but maybe, just maybe, it will be for the best. They have each other, they will be able to heal from the shock, right? ‘ _Vous_ _êtes homme._ ’

He takes a breath before softly confessing.

‘ _Je suis un monstre comme eux.’_

The following silence is heavy, almost too heavy but...

His mother doesn’t release her grip on him, even as he sees realization in her eyes.

‘You got Changed?’ she asks softly. Rikka nods.

‘I got attacked on my way home, almost four years ago.’ he continues his confession, noticing a glint of realization light up his mother’s eyes. ‘My Changer found me and decided to Change me, to preserve my Song.’

He doesn’t know why he says it, because his mother cannot know of the mechanics working behind the Composer system. He raises his head surprised when he hears the gasp. His father is sitting in bed, eyes wide with feverish excitement, and Rikka suddenly realized-

Shiki’s expression when Composing was the same as his father’s when making music.

 _‘Une Chanson?’_ he repeats last of Rikka’s words, and he nods, bemused. His father falls back onto his pillow with a breathless laugh, while his mother looks on in confusion.. ‘ _Mon fille est a Chanseur!’_

 _‘Tu le sais?’_ Rikka asks in shock.

‘ _Mais oui._ ’

‘But I don’t know it.’ his mother speaks up, looking between one man and the other. Rikka hesitates, but tries to put into words what he knows of Composers, Singers and Songs. Then, he remembers something else. Without dislodging his mother from his arm, he reaches for his bag, and pulls out sheets filled with notes. He looks questioningly at his mother, she seems to be the one who didn’t forget about him confessing to be a goddamn vampire, but she nods without hesitation once she realizes what he asks permission for, releasing her grasp. He moves towards the bed and hands the sheets to his father. He stares at them in wonder, before asking softly.

‘ _Saya, mon luth, s’il te plaît_.’

His mother looks between him, sheets of paper and Rikka, before almost bolting for the instrument, hidden in the chest next to the door.

It’s an old instrument, Rikka remembers it from his childhood. Lute is from the wood darkened with age and impregnated with love and care of its owner and his family, with its’ box in a slightly rounder shape than usual, and bridges much closer to the actual surface to avoid damaging it during long travel. When his father tunes it though, bony fingers as nimble as always, the sound it gives is rich and deep, while staying light, somehow. Then, he takes a peek at one music sheet in front of them, then next one and then next one, spreading them on the blanket covering his legs. Then, he plays first notes, and something inside Rikka explodes in warmth.

The tune is light, but it bears heavy feel of nostalgia. It’s played unhurriedly, the time between notes letting his father change his holds easily. It seems to move in a sweep only to suddenly stop and backtrack, then as his father hits all strings simultaneously, the sound erupts, a bit like a fountain, falling in cascades over Rikka.

He spent hours, days, weeks, staring at the sheet, trying to hum the music out and giving up once he wasn’t able to feel the music the same way he did when he Sang for the Head of Takamura. Which was ironical, it was the same Song, only now it was near its completion; all it lacked was a title and satisfactory performance.

A performance his father seemed to be able to get right on the first try. His fingers got tired midway, and he let the sound trickle away from him, leaning away on the headboard.

‘It was beautiful, Rien.’ his mother is the one who breaks the silence left from the Song. His father looks at her, eyes soft.

‘ _La Chanson est Rikka, mon cherie._ ’ he says, fond and proud tones mixed in his voice. ‘ _C'est évident c'est beau.’_

Rikka blushes, before he realizes his father just called the Song his. How was that true, when he couldn’t get even half of what his father did from the get-go?

His father seems to read his mind, for he smiles wider.

‘ _C’est expérience, Rikka._ ’ his expression changes to a serious one. ‘ _Tu n’es pas un monstre, Rikka. La Chanseur est la musique elle-même, et nous vivons avec musique._’

‘Your father’s right, Rikka.’ His mother puts a hand on his shoulder, standing next to him, and when he, still sitting at his father’s bedside, turns to her, she envelopes him in a hug, letting him hide his tears in her apron. ‘You’re our child and we love you. Don’t ever forget it.’

He just nods.

They talk afterwards, well into night, about music, dance, travel, modelling, until his father’s eyes don’t start dropping on their own. Rikka moves to his old bedding, a perch atop the oven, keeping its’ occupant as warm as heavy blanket did to those sleeping in bed. His mother kissed his cheek, a wordless goodnight, as she moved to her side of the furniture.

Rikka knew he will find his parents curled in the middle of the bed tomorrow. His mother used to be embarrassed by that, but his father always shrugged it off as one of those things that will happen even if you try to stop them- so why bother being embarrassed?

Laying with his eyes wide open, Rikka listens to breaths of two sleeping people next to him and remembers every little memory he has of his life in this very room.

_„It’s a good life.”_

He starts, and checks on the other occupants of the room, before understanding.

_„Shiki.”_

_„I didn’t mean to startle you, but it felt like you’ve unlocked something to do with the Song I gave you_.”

 _„I didn’t.”_ Rikka answers, eyes straying to the bed on the side of the room. „ _But father did.”_

 _„Your father?”_ Shiki sounds surprised. Then- „ _well, he is in a way a part of you, so it’s possible there’s a bit of him in the Song as well.”_

They delve into silence, as Rikka mulls the words over _._ Then, he suddenly realizes.

_„Say, Shiki. Am I still within region borders?”_

_„It seems so. Why?”_

Rikka answers in memories.

 _„I see.”_ He can almost hear scowl in Shiki’s voice. „ _I’ll consult father, but normally, traveller villages aren’t charged in any form, on presumption its’ inhabitants paid the taxes through their stays in different inns and so on. And even if he decided to change it, what you’re describing is in no way a proper Blood Tax.”_

_„I see.”_

_„Rikka, sorry, but, I need you to stay put”._ He can almost sense movement on his Changer’s side. _I need to make sure we’re dealing with unwanted trespassing, but once I do, you’ll have free hand in kicking them out by the law both vampires and humans respect._

Rikka feels his muscles relax at the reassurance. Then, a thought strikes.

_„All vampires”? ”_

_„What do you... damn_.” This time, it’s definitely a scowl. Rikka adds on.

_„I’ve sensed Okui-san at the entrance to the village, I’m sure I’m going to meet him tomorrow, so.”_

_„Confirm our suspicions.”_ Shiki nods mentally, although Rikka can sense slight irritation at the memory of the blond hunter. „ _And if they turn out to be true, you’re free to put all that elemental training you did into use.”_

_„I hope it doesn’t come to this.”_

_„You’re too kind.”_

_„I’m a coward, Shiki.”_ Rikka smiles bitterly at the wooden ceiling above him, darkened with the heat of the oven. _„If it turns out to be them, I’ll be facing those memories alone, in front of the very people I wanted to keep it away from.”_

 _„The people who said they would accept you in any way.”_ Shiki reminds him, sending an echo of one of the memories Rikka shared _. „And I won’t leave you alone if it comes to this.”_

Rikka sighs. Sensation of being connected to Shiki didn’t weaken, but his own awareness of it dimmed, so now, sensing Shiki’s power raise in him in reassurance felt like a novelty. A pleasant one.

_„Thank you, Shiki.”_

_„Don’t mind. It’s my work as your Composer.”_

_„Not Changer?”_

_„That, too.”_ Shiki admits after a second. „ _But mostly Composer. Preferably.”_

Rikka smiles in the darkness.

_„Alright, then. I’m going to work hard to meet your expectations, Composer~”_

_„Start with finding this Song. It’s you, after all_.”

‘Me, huh?’ Rikka whispers, eyes once again travelling to the bed where two separate bundles of human bodies were slowly becoming less and less separate.

He hopes the longer stay will allow him to uncover what that really meant.

*

In a way, it does.

He doesn’t enter deeper into village, a strict promise to his father keeping him from doing so.

He still meets Okui.

Hunter unusually is alone, but there’s a whip at his belt, one that wasn’t there back when he came to interrogate residents of Takamura residence. Rikka instantly feels alerted.

Because of their style of living, none of Wanderers ever reached level of power of a High Vampire, so if hunter decided dealing with them demands more than interrogating Shiki...

‘Yo, Rikka.’ he greets, as if not noticing the wary expression on other’s face. ‘Looking great. Rested well at night?’

‘I would rest better if I didn’t discover my own father is bedridden due to vampires taking over the village and my mother awaiting their intrusion to bite them any waking moment.’ he replies dryly, and formal smirk Kumo presents in business mode drops, showing wrinkles of tiredness.

‘You and me both.’ he sighs, wiping at his face. ‘I presume it’s their house you’ve stopped at?’

Rikka nodded once.

‘I just had to confirm. By the way, Wanderers have no idea you’re here, only my sensors caught your appearance.’ he looks consideringly at Rikka. ‘It would be good if you could keep a low profile for a bit-’

Rikka laughs cheerlessly. Okui answers with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

‘It seems that’s the only thing I’m being requested to do as of late.’

‘Ah. Your Master also told you to keep quiet.’ Okui says with realization.

Rikka sighs.

‘He’s not really my Master, but yes, he did. The village is on Takamura’s domain, but since more than half of people from there were of travelling profession, we never got to pay them any form of tax.’ he wrings his hands. ‘Shiki’s checking on his end whether we can rightfully kick Wanderers out or if I’ll get in the way of older Takamura's plans in any way.’

Okui quirks an eyebrow.

‘You don’t like older Takamura.’

‘Not really.’ Rikka agrees, not dwelling into ‘he-would-have-killed-me-had-his-son-not-needed-me’ relationship. Okui looks at him for a bit longer, but when he doesn’t continue, hunter just shrugs.

‘From my own Clan’s experience, Wanderers are heck of a tricky allies- unless one of them is hopelessly in love with you, but that’s like, one-in-a-hundred chance, and, from what I see, is in no way applying to current situation.’

‘Then why are you just looking?’ Rikka looks baffled, and Okui scowls.

‘Believe me, if I could I would personally kick out all of them, but alas. Apparently chef of this village signed a pact that had blood drafts stated in it as a payment for "protection" of the village. We’re trying to find a way around it, but it seems to be the real stuff, and it kind of binds our hands.’

‘There’s no way he would sign it willingly.’ Rikka says with disbelief. The chieftain was an adult with a very strong morals and strong distrust for strangers, despite his village consisting mostly of wanderers meeting said strangers on a daily basis.

He also hated non-humans, not enough to hunt them, but enough to politely kick them out as soon as was possible out of the village. On top of that, through his travelling villagers, he possessed enough knowledge of them to avoid aggravating the relationships between them and the village.

For him to recklessly sign the contract, with Wanderers out of all vampires...

Okui racks through his hair, this time released from the bindings of a hood.

‘Believe me, the first thing we checked was if his signature got laid under some kind of mental manipulation. Everything’s fine on that aspect though.’

He lowers his hand.

‘In all honesty, we should’ve gotten our asses out of there once we confirmed the certificate is the real thing. Still, people are trapped in there, and it’s easy to see the village is nothing but dying out under Wanderers, so we stall. I used your case as an excuse, and that’s also part of why I want you to lay low; I might need you.’

Rikka tilts his head, an unspoken „how so?” in his eyes. In all honesty, as long as Okui will propose a plan to kick the Wanderers out asap, Rikka was going to agree to do anything; he couldn’t bear the tired, dimming eyes of his father, or scared doe-like ones of his mother and do nothing for them.

‘If we manage to pin down your attackers and spin their blame so that we could frame all of this particular Wanderers’ group, we could kick them out. Murder- well, technically not complete, but you of all people know what I mean- done before the certificate with asterisk of „it might be possible draft will weaken or kill the giver” got enforced is still a murder and not an accident during gathering of the payment.’

Rikka forces his hand to unclench. What was the cheftain thinking?

‘You’re really sure he wasn’t being possessed or anything?’

‘Hundred percent sure. I have good reason to that.’ Okui points to his forehead, where yet another rune shines brightly for a moment, before fading. ‘Doesn’t mean he was happy doing that. Well, I wouldn’t either, if I signed my family and people that trusted me to become fodder...’

Rikka is struck with a sudden thought.

‘Is Lilan, chef’s daughter, doing alright?’ he asks, seemingly out of blue. Okui looks at him surprised.

‘Chef has a daughter?’

‘I knew it.’ Rikka hisses, anger and concern mixed together. ‘She’s his only child, he’d do anything to protect her. If they have their hands-’

‘What does she look like?’ Okui interrupts, eyes calculating. Rikka thinks for a moment.

‘Last time we’ve seen each other was four years ago, she’s my age. Though now it doesn’t mean much.’ he smiles bitterly at his unchanged hands, before shaking his head. Okui waits patiently. ‘She had long, black hair- the only one in the village actually, a memento from her late mother-’

‘Ah.’ Okui snaps his fingers in realization. ‘A very thin, willowy girl with pretty brown eyes, always looking to the ground?’

‘I don’t know about the last part...’ Rikka frowns, Lilan in his memories was all cheer and smile and excitement, loving to hear stories of every returning member of their community and curious about every newcomer. Energy almost covered the fact that her silhouette looked like a stronger gust of wind could blow her away. ‘The rest is accurate, though. Is she-?’

‘Currently living with the family with the most flowers around their house. Is that-?’ Okui asks, eyebrow raised, and Rikka nods confidently.

‘That would be her family on mother’s side, they specialize in lilies. Her mother loved the flowers, so she named her after them.’

And Lila adored the flowers just as much, the fact making her a beloved prospect in-law for another admirer of the flowers - his own mother. Since her and Rikka were both peers and good friends, he let his mother dream the innocent dream. It was impossible mostly because of how he knew Lilan’s father would never allow her to marry a wanderer, and because he knew the girl felt for him exactly what he felt for her- deep, brotherhood (or was that sisterhood?) like friendship. They would make a good marriage, true, but it wouldn’t be out of love, not like the one his mother and father shared.

And now the chances were in minus, as Rikka became the very thing that threatened Lilan enough for her father to move her to relatives’ house.

But, she was alive, and heaviness on his shoulders he felt since realizing the situation lifted minimally.

With alive people, he had things to protect.

‘Fine, I’ll go along your idea for now. Anything I should be on a lookout for while laying low?’ he asks the hunter, and Okui blinks.

‘Maybe try and spend some quality time with your parents first?’ he says, and raises his hand once Rikka opens his mouth to protest. ‘I know it’s hard to just watch, but maybe letting them spend time with you without worrying about you getting killed for god knows what reason might help. You’re the Singer, you know how feelings can strengthen a person.’

‘I’m currently a bit of a failure of a Singer.’ Rikka admits with a bitter smile. Something about Okui made it easy to give away his weak points. Maybe it was leftover human decency making sure the hunter will have enough info to strike him once he turns into a monster endangering his parents.

_„You won’t become one. And you’re not a failure.”_

‘Do I sense an annoying interruption? Want me to block him out?’ Okui asks, eyes visibly sparkling, and Rikka chuckles against himself.

‘No, thank you.’

_„Thank you, too, Shiki.”_

_„Just don’t get too friendly with him.”_

_„Are you actually grumbling in my mind?”_

_„I’m not!_ ”

‘No, but seriously, I can do it no problem.’

Rikka laughs.

‘I’ll keep it in mind. For now though, I would like to get back to my parents, as you say. Is there a way for me to keep in touch with you?’

Okui strokes his chin briefly.

‘I’m a known flirt, so nobody will suspect anything if I’ll pay a visit to a nice lady that will later come check up on the sickly elderly pair living at the outskirts. And if I sense you rousing your powers, I will rush to your side whether you want it or not, so no~ we won’t need anything.’ he grins easily.

Rikka blinks.

‘Could it be you just flirted with me?’ he asks with boldness he didn’t expect of himself. Okui’s grin changes to pout.

‘You blame me? Look at yourself in the mirror, will you?’ he defends himself, and Rikka feels the slightest hint of blush starting somewhere at his chest.

_„Oi.”_

‘He really annoys me, you know.’ Okui speaks at the same time.

_„The feeling’s mutual, flashboy.”_

_„Shiki.”_ Rikka scolds lightly, even as he answers softly.

‘He’s the reason I’m here at all, though.’ Okui hums, seemingly acknowledging his point. ‘And it might be wise not to flirt with a thing you’re supposed to hunt, Okui-san.’

‘You’re not a thing, though, Rikka.’ Okui says matter of fact. ‘But I get the clue, I got rejected!’

‘We can stay friends, though.’ Rikka offered, not really sure what was he expected to answer to that. Okui waves his hand at him.

‘Friendzone is worse than death for a flirt, you know? But-’ he drops all his pretense once again. ‘-I would like to stay acquaintances, if only for this job.’

‘We’re on the same page here.’ instantly agrees Rikka.

They split soon afterwards, vampire having a weird sense of accomplishment and hope in his chest. His mother smiles relieved at him as he comes back.

‘You look lighter.’ she comments. Rikka just smiles.

‘Do you need help with anything?’ he asks.

*

He spends the next few days like that, helping his mother around the house, bringing in the firewood from the forest, and talking to his father whenever older man had enough energy to do so, mostly about theories of music the other man felt could become useful to his son.

Of course, Okui didn’t forget about him, as the „young lady” did came by two days after they’ve met. Thankfully she noticed Rikka only inside the cottage, otherwise her delighted squeal would blow his cover.

‘Lilan!’ he calls in surprise as the young woman tackles him into a hug, package she carried dropped to the ground.

‘We thought you were dead!’ she cried unashamedly into his shoulder, squeezing her arms until Rikka thought he might suffocate.

_„Actually, can vampires suffocate? Their heartbeats are slower than humans.”_

_„Can fire get snuffed out by lack of air?”_ rhetorically asks Shiki.

‘I’m here, Lilan.’ Rikka carefully pats the girl’s back. She lets go of him and throws her hair back.

‘That I can see. When did you return?’ she frowns as she suddenly notices Rikka has put more distance between the two of them. ‘And what the heck is that?’

‘Safe distancing. I came back few days ago.’

‘A what?’ Lilan crosses her arms, a very familiar frown on her face. God, Rikka was so glad she could still behave like that. ‘Why would you need a distance-’

‘I’m a vampire, Lila.’ he decides direct is the best way to go about it. ‘Safe distance is the least I can give you.’

‘A vampire, yeah, like I... would... believe...’ he smiles sadly, letting his mouth fall open just enough to show morphed fangs. His childhood friend gapes.

‘I... had an unfortunate adventure on my way back, four years ago.’ Rikka briefly explains in stretching silence, his mother and father keeping quiet. ‘That’s the result.’

He tries not to show tinge of pain when Lilan takes few more steps back. He knew what vampires did to his village, right?

No, actually, he didn’t. He only knew it was wrong.

‘Can we go out?’ he asks softly, and Lilan nods, picking her parcel and haning it over to his mother wordlessly. Saya grips her hands briefly.

‘He’s still Rikka, Lili.’

‘Mom, please.’ he hopes his voice isn’t a whine. His mother scoffs at him.

‘Go catch up with somebody your age, _Chanseur._ ’

‘You really like that word, don’t you?’ he asks resignedly, hearing his father breathy laugh behind his back. His mother smirks, wrinkles creasing her face in a much kinder way than usually. With each day Rikka was around, she seemed to become more youthful, more beautiful.

‘ _Mais oui_. Now go, just don’t get found out.’ she says it lightly, but her eyes betray worry. Rikka nods.

‘We won’t.’

Lilan exits before him, wordlessly, and moves away as soon as he closes the door behind himself. Rather than following her, Rikka goes in opposite direction, and circles his cottage from the other side.

The backyard of their house is full of plants like any village house, only theirs are of the sturdier, less time-consuming type, as opposed to the backyard of the houses that sustained themselves through their flowers. Like the one Lilan’s aunt had.

There are vines climbing the trees, and bushes of wild raspberries serving as the fencing, and most of the small patch of ground was overgrown with grass.

Rikka notes to himself to burn the weeds down sometime and plant autumn vegetables- he didn’t knew how long was he going to stay with his parents, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t prepare them for the harsh time of in-between winter and spring. For now though, he just leans against one of the corner pillars, Lilan gingerly leaning against opposite one.

‘Was it Okui sending you to my parents?’ Rikka breaks the silence, and Lilan flinches, before answering.

‘He did. Although he could’ve spared the words on that.’ she frowns slightly, and Rikka smiles. ‘Uncle looked ready to strangle him.’

‘He’s... a very peculiar person.’ Rikka carefully chooses his words ignoring a not his snort inside his head. ‘It might be because of his profession, but his sense of danger seems to be skewed the wrong way.’

‘You bet. He choose to sleep in the same house as _them_ -’ Lilan starts with passion, before cutting herself off, looking at him with fear and embarrassment.

‘What happened here, Lilan?’ Rikka asks quietly, tired. ‘In front of your eyes. My parents only know that one day, everything went to hell.’

‘That’s basically what happened, Rikka.’ she answers after a very long time. And then starts a story, in a monotone tone of voice unbefitting a lively woman.

Of the two vampires that one day came to town. Of how reluctant her father was to let them stay, but having no reason to refuse, had to approve of it. How more of them invited themselves in afterwards. How finally, they took the village over, before anybody noticed. How she became unwilling reason the pact got signed, vampires threatening her in front of her father, how she became the first to pay the protection fee once he signed it.

‘I hoped that at least death spared you experiencing this.’ she says at last. ‘Instead you came back, same as them.’

‘I won’t become like them, Lilan.’ Rikka speaks quietly, his fist tight, nails digging into his skin. ‘Even if it kills me, I won’t.’

 _„It won’t kill you. Rather, if you become like them_ I _will kill you. So, don’t become like them.”_

Rikka smiles briefly.

_„Thanks Shiki, but it’s kind of private talk right now.”_

_„Oh. Sorry.”_ His Changer feels sheepish before disappearing from his mind. Rikka knows the bond cannot be broken, but Shiki tried to give him as much privacy as he could, and he appreciated the tries _._

‘But you’re like this already for-’ Lilan starts, and Rikka nods.

‘Four years. But I’m Changed; my power and my body comes from a stronger vampire, so the new... need, it also gets satisfied through the link. I haven’t bitten anyone. Hopefully won’t have to ever.’

‘But that other vampire-’

‘Apparently avoids biting as well. He’s not good with people. Or Vampires, for that matter.’ Rikka frowns briefly. ‘I don’t think there’s a living being he’s good with. But, he loves music.’

‘And that’s enough?’ Lilan asks dubiously.

‘It was for us to stay at people’s places before.’ Rikka answers, head pointing to the inside of his house. ‘Back when all of us travelled. And we weren’t failed before, Lilan.’

She considers it for the briefest moment.

‘They don’t sing.’ she says with a sudden realization. ‘Those vampires. They shout and force people to scream, but they never sing.’

‘See?’ Rikka feels irrational satisfaction. Then he notices something else- the shadow they stayed under elongated, the sun travelling down. ‘It’s getting late.’

‘It is.’ Lilan sounds alarmed. Rikka looks at her concerned.

‘Will you be alright going back?’

Lilan gathers herself for a moment, but when she answers him, it’s confident young woman he knew all of his childhood.

‘I don’t know, but there’s nobody knowing it these days. More importantly, the flirty blond sparkle have a message for you.’

‘Flirty blo- you mean Okui-san?’ Rikka asks incredulously, once again ignoring passing foreign thought of _„I like that girl’s thinking”_. Lilan snorts.

‘Who else?’ she shrugs. ‘I’m calling him that from now on, for not saying who was going to wait for me to pass the message to them, the jerk; and you’re not better, for not giving a sign of being alive earlier!’

Rikka chuckled, while apologizing; the distance between them didn’t shrunk, Rikka doubted it will ever do. But, he felt like he recovered something much more important.

‘Anyway, the message is, don’t get your ass exposed before we don’t bring it out onto streets. What does it mean?’

Rikka forces a scowl down.

‘It means I can’t walk you back, even though you risked so much already.’

Lilan scoffs.

‘I’ll survive if it means this nightmare will end soon.’ she pauses. ‘It will, right, Rikka?’

‘It will.’ Rikka assures his childhood friend. ‘If Okui’s group fail, I’ll end it personally.’

‘You got cocky.’ Lilan smiles.

‘I did?’ Rikka wonders.

‘You did, I was the cocky one before.’ her smile falters. ‘I guess the roles got reversed, huh.’

‘Lilan...’

‘No time dwelling on it!’ the girl pushes away from the corner of his house and slaps her cheeks. She hunches her back almost instantly after. ‘I need to get back.’

‘Do you need to take something back to cover...’ Rikka starts and trails off as his childhood friend waves her hand.

‘From a pair of travelling artists? All everyone come for is a kind word and warm atmosphere, maybe a few notes if your father isn’t tired.’ She stretches. ‘In the time of plague, in the time of famine, or in the times like any other, your family kept being good neighbors, so village just returns the favor now.’

‘Thank you. I’ll find a way to pay it back.’ Rikka says, and means just this. Lilan looks at him.

‘Help the hunters drive vampires out and we’ll stay indebted to you for forever.’

‘Deal.’ Rikka smiles easily, lips closed. ‘Can you keep quiet-?’

‘Rikka, I have brain.’ Lilan rolls her eyes at him. ‘I know what you need to do to not expose your ass.’

‘I’m still shocked Okui-san phrased it this way to you.’

Lilan smiles mischieviously and it’s the expression that Rikka remembers well, one that always got them in trouble when they were younger.

‘He didn’t.’

*

In the end, Rikka is the one who „takes it to the streets”. Not unprovoked, although he would seal the memories of that day for months before trying to unpack and confront them afterwards.

One day after Lilan visited, Rikka’s mother has sent him on an innocent errand- gather herbs they all knew grew in a forest covering whole right side of the village and spread over uneven ground there. Rikka found nothing wrong with the request- herbs’ qualities were that of strengthening the body and helping with blood circulation, something both his father and mother needed, and Rikka was quite eager to try it out on himself then present the results to Shiki. And if his mother’s smile was a bit forced, her shoulders tense? Rikka assigned that to her worrying, the road was a bit demanding, and his mother lately hated it when the family split. He tried to reassure it, vampires had better reflexes and stamina in general.

The fact his mother smiled resignedly with a soft ‘I know’ should have been his red flag.

It takes whole day for a human to get to the clearing where the plants grow, gather them, then move back to the village, and since Wanderers were closely scruntizing villagers’ movements, nobody risked going on a whole day trip, his mother has told him, asking him to gather more than was usually needed for just three people. Rikka didn’t mind, happy to give back a small piece of relief to the village that helped keep his parents afloat now that their regular income from travelling was made impossible.

Going out just after the sun rose (well, that was euphemism- the sky was gray for most of the week already, and it didn’t seem to clear anytime soon), he sets out, humming under his nose. Thanks to the talks with his father, Song given to him by Shiki seemed to slowly take concrete shape inside of him, a Song of love, yearning, letting go and yet not letting for good. It was contrasting and because of that, beautiful.

He makes a slightly longer break on the clearing, arranging not only the assigned blood-herb, but also few smaller leaves he knew were good for cough, and few roots that dried out made for a great flour replacement. Assigning them into bundles easy for carrying takes more time than he expects, but he doesn’t complain; preparing for winter was something he didn’t have to worry with Shiki, so current duties felt actually refreshing

He senses something wrong more or less halfway back home. He isn’t sure what it is, but the air seems to be tingling him, thick with something he isn’t entirely sure he can describe.

He elongates his steps, and that’s probably why it’s early afternoon when he reaches the village’s outskirts.

The air is thick with tragedy, and it doesn’t take a genius to know what has happened. Rikka ducks behind nearest house’s fence, dimming his aura and stilling his breath as the pair of yellow-eyed vampires energically walk from the direction of his house.

Rikka feels pressure inside his mouth and realizes it’s him gritting his teeth so hard fangs were digging into his lower gums. He forces his jaw to relax, but his heartbeat, still until Wanderers passed, now picks up with terrifying speed.

He rushes rest of the way home, passing by those few brave villagers venturing out and checking the situation, not noticing the looks shot his way. He doesn’t have time to stop and explain that no, he’s not a Wanderer, he’s the son terrified out of his mind for his parents.

Shiki sends a worried inquiry, but he ignores him, pushing towards the door- or, what was left of it.

There’s nothing to knock on anymore, whole board of it unhinged with brutal power, leaving them on the ground. He can spot wet paths trailing off the step and into the ground- they’re dark but not bloody dark.

Rikka ignores them, the furniture can be fixed, barrel for water refilled, doors made anew; as long as it’s the only damage...

It isn’t.

‘Ah, Rikka, welcome back.’ his mother kneels on the floor next to bed, hair in disarray, neck still visibly bruised, but the smile she throws him is nothing but genuine. Rikka doesn’t answer greeting, eyes sweeping over the mess their tiny house was changed into, finally landing back on his parent.

Or parents, as he realizes his father is still in bed. Or maybe it is again, judging by the way his mother’s breathing is yet to normalize. Could it be she carried him?

He moves to her side, dropping to his knees next to her, cupping her face gently and moving to inspect the wound on the neck. It’s terrifying.

‘What happened here?’ he says, his voice trembling against him. His mother’s face is pale, way too pale, and the injuries on the junction of her arm and neck are too deep to stop bleeding on their own. He thinks back to the bag of herbs he dropped just in the entryway, but his mother seems to be reading his thoughts, for she puts a hand over his.

‘Don’t, honey.’ she squeezes and that’s all Rikka can focus on at the moment, on surprising power of her grip, the warmth in her hand, the way her hair fall over the wound, covering it. ‘I have exactly enough time.’

‘But-’ Rikka stops, the „you’re dying” choking his throat. He wanted to be selfish, to go against his mother, wrap her in herbs, stop the bleeding and carry her out of the village, Wanderers and pacts be damned- if he was the one doing carrying, the pact wouldn’t affect them, right?

But then his eyes fall on the bed, and he realizes- he couldn’t do that.

Even though he would be perfectly fine carrying both his parents, they wouldn’t allow this; even if they didn’t pay for breaking the pact, the village that helped them this long, that housed them for years, the villagers who were their neighbors would. And even if he got them outside? In current state he could provide them food and warmth, but his medical knowledge was minor at best. Would he be able to get them help in time to save them? Were they even saveable? He feels something else choking him up now. A sob. He shakes his head.

‘I’m sorry, sweetie.’ his mother pulls him in for a hug. For all she went through, she was exceptionally strong. ‘I hoped you wouldn’t have to see that.’

‘That’s why you’ve send me away?’ he asks in small, hurt voice. ‘Because you knew something like that would happen?’

‘I hoped it wouldn’t be so bad.’ she answers in just as small voice. ‘Mom miscalculated, I’m sorry, sweetie.’

Rikka tears away from the hug.

‘It’s not your-’ he realizes he’s screaming, cuts himself off. ‘Not your fault. You shouldn’t have to calculate anything. You should just...’

„Be allowed to dance freely” is an euphemism in situation they find themselves in right now and Rikka belatedly realizes he hasn’t seen his mother dance even once since coming home. She always had that tiny spring in her step, her hips turning a bit more than others’, always elegant, always ready to change a dance-like step into a full-blown dance, but not anymore.

No, that was wrong. She did briefly dance, the spring returning to her step when his father played his Song.

‘We have such a great son, Rien.’ his mother says, her eyes watering. ‘I’m sorry the parting gift is so bitter, sweetie.’

Rikka breathes in, out, in again, holds his breath.

‘It isn’t your fault.’

 _‘ Rikka n’a pas tort, amor.’_ the voice of his father is barely a whisper but it works like a whip for both his mother and himself.

‘Rien!’

‘Dad!’

‘ _Rikka. Aider ton mére, s’il te plait._’ his father opens his eyes to look at him. ‘ _Elle n’appartient pas sur le sol.’_

‘ _Oui, papa_.’ Rikka feels hypnotized. His father’s eyes are shining, look more alive than they did for most of his time home. He picks his mother up effortlessly, Saya squeaking a little then chuckling against herself, and his father’s lips form a smile.

The grief quieten in Rikka’s chest at the sight. There’s no hope replacing it, though.

He gently puts his mother on the bedside opposite his father, but doesn’t pull covers off- even through them, he can feel the stench of blood, slowly seeping away from the man who gave him life. His mind travels back in time to the night four years ago, but he pushes the memory away. It’s not about him now.

‘Rikka.’ His father’s eyes smile at him even as his complexion greys. ‘ _Mon musique. Ton Chanson est beaux, mais elle n’est past la fin. Tu est a Chanseur avec autres hommes.’_

‘Shiki said the same thing.’ Rikka murmurs, slipping out of his father’s mother tongue. Rien nods.

‘ _C’est la vie, le destin, Musique._ _C'était mon bonheur- et tu es comme moi. Crois ta voix et ton danse. Tu iras bien, mon fils._’

The breath he takes next is wheezing, as if there were cracks in his lungs, through which the air ran out at the same time he took it in. He still pushes his hand to reach and cup Rikka’s mother’s face.

‘ _Saya. Mon amor, mon reve, mon tresor. Je suis désolé cheri, mais je vais dormir d’abord._ ’ he simply says, but even at the sidelines, Rikka can see the unspoken conversation developing in front of him, in tiny gestures, expressions, eye contact. His mother smiles softly, sadly.

‘ _D’accord. Bonne nuit, mon cher._ ’ His mother gently takes his father’s hand and laces their fingers together.

His father sighs as if this simple gesture relieved all of his burdens, and closes his eyes.

He doesn’t breathe in again, and Rikka feels numbness spread through himself at the sight of his father becoming just a body, _a thing_ , right in front of his eyes.

‘Rikka.’ his mother’s soft voice takes him out of his stupor. She looks so tired, yet so fond.

So fragile yet stronger than him.

‘It’s okay sweetie, that’s just life.’ she extends her arm to him and he goes into the one armed hug, sobs tearing one after another. ‘Let it go, honey, tears are the best medicine for grief.’

He just squeezes her, but she’s not loosening her hold either. She continues only once his sobs soften to tiny hiccups.

‘Your father was right, Rikka, you’ll be fine. After we say our goodbyes, you need to get out of here, okay? You do have a place to go back to, after all.’ she smiles bitterly. ‘If I were a bit less emotional, I would’ve sent you back there the moment I’ve seen you, so that you wouldn’t have to go thr-’

‘Don’t say that.’ Rikka begs, and she cuts herself off. ‘Don’t say that you wouldn’t even let me be there for you, as useless as I-’

‘You weren’t useless, you silly boy.’ she manages to force her voice into slightly scolding tone, before softening it to playful. ‘You made your father happy, letting him play your Song. And you made me happy. My son was alive and doing fine, better than that, even; what else could I wish for?’

‘A life without vampires in it, for example.’ Rikka realizes he’s bitter, but he can’t help it- if only they haven’t existed, all of this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

‘You could have been attacked by human robbers then, and never return home. Your Changer would have never been born; that friend of his you talked about, too. Why I would want that for people you care about?’ his mother returns, ruffling his hair slightly as he pouts, unable to reply to that. ‘I love you, sweetie, and want to see you happy. And Rien is- was right about most things regarding you; that also means, this Composer of yours is your way to happiness.’

She drops her smile.

‘That’s why you need to go back to him. Alright? Don’t worry about the village, just think about yourself. Promise me you’ll get out of here and find happiness, Rikka.’

He looks into her eyes, already misted with the impending death, and realizes the voice that to him sounds so clearly is nothing more than a whisper anymore.

His first instinct is to scream - don’t go, don’t leave me- but then he swallows his selfishness back, and nods.

‘I promise, maman.’ she smiles a wide, dreamy smile.

‘I can already see my son get the future he deserves, with friends that won’t leave him alone~ah, I’m going to have such a nice dream, honey, thank you. But, it’s time for me to say it too.’

Rikka nods. Leans down as his mother weakly gestures for him to do so. Feels her weakly press a kiss to his forehead.

‘Goodnight, sweetie.’ she whispers.

He doesn’t raise his head until he’s sure his muscles obeyed him and the last expression his mother will see is a smile.

‘Goodnight, mom. Sweet dreams.’

Sera Saya smiles back at him, before exhaling a soft ‘love you’.

She doesn’t move again and Rikka lets his facade shatter to pieces as he sobs, looking at the bodies of his parents, holding hands even in their deaths.

*

He doesn’t know how much time passes until he stops crying, and just stares at the two people who gave him life, laying motionless. Even more time passes before he hears voices outside the house, some worried, some disgruntled, some downright angry.

Like the voice of Lilan.

‘Don’t come closer! If you do, pact be screwed, I won’t forgive you! Rikka will not!’

‘And what is that mysterious Rikka to you? Dancer’s daughter maybe?’

‘Although you do have the right to payment in blood, there’s nothing about ruining villager’s properties.’ that voice is Okui’s. He sounds surprisingly serious. ‘Plus, blood-draft once a day is already a limit to a healthy human, doing it twice is a straight up execution and that is not what you’re allowed per your own pact.’

‘Doubt it.’

‘Doubt what.’ Okui says it lowly. There is a cackle answering him.

‘Maybe for ‘er, it’d be execution but them mister was on his last legs anyway. And scrap clearing we do all the time. More brothers will come soon to share. C’mon mister hunter, you don’t want us to feed from living stock? Let us through to the corpses.’

‘Wha-’ Lilan’s voice sounds broken. Rikka closes his eyes, feeling warmth coming not from outside, but from within him, together with fresh tears.

‘Miss, it’s dangerous-’

‘Let me go! Let me go at him!’ Lilan now shrieks, judging by the sounds, Okui’s holding her back from throwing herself with fists at the vampire. ‘He’s a monster! Right in front of you! You’ve heard him, what are you doing just standing there! He- He did...uncle Rien...!’

Rikka listens, to the fire sizzling inside of him, Lilan’s voice feeding it, feeding the finality it carried within. It slowly takes material form- one in the fireplace, then next by the pillow of his parents, next in the legs of the bed.

All things have the last time.

‘You keep the hysteric, we take the scrap, oh mighty hunter.’ sounds of feet shuffling, closer to the hole that was once door. Rikka hears the melody, played on the lute by the bony fingers of his father just a few days ago. Down-up-down, stop. Up down-down, stop. Tiny fires now cluster the floor, the plank that was the door, his sleeping place above the fireplace, bed frame, all of Rikka.

Some last times are actually firsts. He opens his eyes and mouth, and lets the Song burn.

The time for the two starts at the midnight, when nobody sees a Frenchman and tiny Japanese dancer meet, the stars and shadows their cover; even if they repeat it’s the last time, even if they use masks, if they run, it shows on their faces, it’s impossible to stop, that’s the type of love it is.

And that’s the flame that answers Rikka’s voice. It bursts out, bursts forth, surrounds him, surrounds his parents, surrounds the house.

It’s a goodnight he didn’t manage to tell them properly, a goodnight they would tell to each other, the goodnight of desperate see you agains, of the red thread of fate tangled between the two, duty of a native, choice of a foreigner, a real life fairytale with all the pains and sacrifices that came with the stories like this.

The story a result of which is Rikka.

He Sings his Song, but it also is his parent’s Song, his come to be Song, their love’s Song, his Goodbye to their Goodbyes, his alone to their joined ones.

He doesn’t know at which line he finally gathered enough strength to separate himself from them and walk out, he doesn’t know when the roof and walls give in and bury his parents’ bodies in the house they created with their love, doesn’t even realize the flame kept the two Wanderers at bay. He doesn’t realize he’s crying, fire drying his tears before they fall. In that moment, that Song, he’s at the very beginning of his parent’s lives together, the beginning that led to years and years of happiness, of Music that culminated with Rikka being the Rikka of now.

He has no problem controlling the flame, keeping it burning just in the borders of what was once his home, and silencing it together with melody that was equal part his and his parents’.

‘R-Rikka...’ he doesn’t turn to where he hears Lilan. It takes Okui’s sharp tone to snap him out of it.

‘Rikka, you didn’t-’ Hunter chokes on his word as Rikka turns, eyes blazing even with two clear tearstreaks wetting his cheeks. Hunter’s cheek blazes with the glyph’s shape on it.

‘I did not kill my parents. The vampires YOU were supposed to drive out did.’ he looks at the horizon where the sun slowly disappears behind the village-the clouds finally cleared. ‘Mother breathed her last breath few hours ago. It was still afternoon by then.’

‘That’s-’ Okui seems to be at loss for words, just as hunters appearing behind him. It’s Lilan who breaks the silence.

‘N-No-’ she chokes out, stumbling out of Okui’s grasp. Her eyes are wide, staring at Rikka, who doesn’t hide the same despair she has in her eyes. Then, she turns and runs.

‘Were they peaceful?’ asks the child standing next to Okui and Rikka looks into eyes of molten gold. They tilt their head, before clarifying. ‘Like the Song?’

He isn’t surprised the child asks him that; the eyes clearly betray it, they're the one from the line of Okui’s descendants of the mixed pair he’s mentioned back in Takamura residence. Different to yellow eyes of Wanderers, these stare at him with curiosity and wonder.

‘The Song was theirs.’ he answers calmly. ‘Their pain, their doubts, their hopes and loves.’

He puts a hand to his chest.

‘Then, their goodnight.’

‘I see. That’s good.’ the child says seriously. Rikka closes his eyes and nods minimally in agreement. He reaches into himself.

 _„Shiki.”_ the presence of the vampire is tentative, careful, as if scared of pushing Rikka. He doesn’t form the question, only sends vague sensation of mute attention. It’s more comforting than it should be.

_„The Song’s name. I’ve found it.”_

_„I knew you would.”_

There’s a angry growl behind them, and all of sudden he realizes, there’s one more thing he needs to make sure has ‘the last time’ tonight.

He wipes his face finally. The song burns in his chest, a warm, comforting feeling of _himself_ being expressed in music. He turns towards the vampires and promptly freezes, the sparks slowly fading away at the burial site that previously was his birth cottage coming back to life, making hunters who were slowly approaching him scramble away.

‘Whoa wha- Rikka cool down a bit please?’ Okui asks, his hands waving frantically around his face, wiping the glyph from his cheek. ‘You’re blinding even without-’

‘Okui-san.’ He interrupts, his voice cold and not shaking only thanks to remnants of the Song still keeping it stable from inside. ‘I know you’ve took my testimony over a year ago, but can I update it now? Especially the perpetrators description.’

Okui follows his line of sight at the same time as - red haired - vampire with yellow eyes stares in disdain at the fire behind Rikka’s back.

‘And she was such a tasty snack too. You better have a good reason for burning our dinner, boy-’

‘I have multitude of them.’ Rikka answers, feeling Shiki in his mind.

_„Show me.”_

He relaxes, even as one of his eyes stop being _his_. Shiki withdraws as quick as he came, though.

_„You are my voice as well, Rikka. If your reasons are not enough, use that.”_

_„Thank you.”_

‘But first things first.’ Okui cuts in. Redhead scowls but his partner puts his hand on his shoulder.

‘Anything that will get you out of our territory sooner, o Mighty Hunter.’Rikka snorts, loudly. Calming fire slowly morphs into fury in his chest, and if Okui doesn’t make the official part quick, he might end up scorching other vampires before hunters pass the judgement.

‘It’s going to be the other way round it seems.’ Okui says, side eyeing Rikka. There are people on the sides of the streets, previously attracted b the fire, now watching the exchange. ‘I’m opening the case of unknown attackers assaulting wandering model on the road leading to this village three years ago.’

There are murmurs of „could it be”s and „impossible”s, Rikka hears his name being passed from mouth to mouth as well.

This all is cut off as the redhead in front of him snaps his fingers and people descent into dreadful silence. Rikka can feel fear more than he feels the subtle aura of vampire spreading over his former neighbors. He swallows the notes back.

He won’t _soil_ this Song like that.

_„There’s another one for you to try out; it’s only in starting stages, though.”_

He smiles. Count on Shiki when it gets to music.

_„I’m a Composer, what did you expect. This one is definitely more about attacking than protecting.”_

‘Rikka. Is there anything your Changer wants to add to the case before you?’ Okui asks, and Wanderers go still. Rikka smiles sweetly.

‘Just the act of trespassing on his terrains, attacking one of his subjects-’ _and Singers!_ ‘-and Singers, if this changes anything, as well as taking over village and subjects on his Clan’s terrain without permission.’

‘Okay, that’s not a „just”-’ starts Okui, but is interrupted by a quickly approaching Wanderers. Hunter’s escort take up defensive positions, but the vampires ignore them completely, their eyes staring at Rikka, threatening to rip his throat had he make one wrong move...

‘Any proofs besides some stray’s words? Or have you steeped so low you’re feeding off of scraps like us, o Mighty Hunter?’

Too bad it was Rikka who’s had High behind his back. He listens to his Changer’s voice for a second before nodding and tapping the ground lightly.

Royal purple of Takamura weaves across the ground only to reach up to the sky just behind last building in the village, a big gathering house that seemed to host unwanted parasites.

‘This would be for the trespassing and hogging the terrain legally belonging to the Clan. Alright.’ Okui nods. ‘I was the one to confirm the identity of the victim of the attack and Rikka’s as one, so-’

‘And how he’s still alive, if we killed him?’ snorts the other vampire, eyeing Rikka with disdain.

‘You were suspected- it’s going to change in a moment, Rikka, chill, please - to attack and leave the man to his human death in the forest directly connected to Takamura Mansion. As you could previously see, the human is no longer standing in front of you.’

‘And how do we know you’re not just bluffing with some second... grade... servant...’ the vampire stops himself from digging his grave as Rikka simply moves his hair away from the part of his neck they protected that night from being massacred.

Shiki’s ownership mark shines in warm, clear purple still, energy he pushed through Rikka previously to make his domain territory borders visible further brightening it.

‘Dude must’ve got some insane writing.’ Okui notes offhandedly. ‘This thing is a mess.’

‘It’s decipherable, but that’s as much as I can say in it’s defense.’ Rikka agrees, eyes not leaving Wanderers in front of him. ‘Unfortunately, Change erases traces of previous wounds, so we don’t have any sample of the bites. The looks are also done from the memories recorded with human senses, but they’re definitely enough to recognize color and shape.’

‘I would know; I’m human still.’ Hunter agrees.

‘Sometimes you make me doubt it, Okui-san.’

Okui makes an innocent face at him.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Of course.’ Rikka doesn’t argue with the man, he’s on the same side after all. Even if he’s failed. ‘Is there something else you need me to prove before I can update my testimony.’

‘Just turn to me, since I doubt you will risk turning your back to them ever again.’

That you definitely have right, Rikka doesn’t say, doing as asked.

 _„I want you to let me handle the fight if it comes to fists.”_ Comes Shiki’s request and Rikka blinks, before starting to recite the features his jostled memory supplied, and simultaneously asking Shiki for explanation.

_„Wanderers won’t go down without fight, and you don’t have control of the full potential of your body. My miscalculation, I should’ve made you learn at least self defense.”_

_„I had basics of that down before though. I’m a traveller after all.”_

_„As a vampire?”_

_„...No.”_ Rikka admits, raising his voice to be heard through the protests of vampires. „ _I hope it won’t come down to it, but if it does...I guess I’m counting on you.”_

 _„Just this once.”_ Shiki agrees with his unspoken sentiment. „ _We can make adjustments so that it doesn’t repeat after you come back home.”_

Rikka can’t help the outward twitch his body gives, but he suppresses smile. He would look like a madman, smiling while accusing people of his near-murderer. Still...

_„Home, huh.”_

_„Of course.”_

The events happens in quick succession afterwards.

Hunters prepare their weapons as Okui passes out the final judgement of guilty, Wanderers use high pitched wail that has these few brave people outside run for cover of the houses as other Wanderers descend on the village like the locust, readying themselves for the battle they didn’t manage to avoid after all, and Rikka snaps his fingers, letting his aura explode.

‘What the hell is this.’

‘I would expect for rulers to at least know what is the village’s speciality.’ Rikka speaks dryly, bitterly, as dozens and dozens of fire lilies bloom, framing the road and the square in pink flames that explode as soon as any vampire comes into contact with them. The duo from that nigh growl and rush at him, and get cut short by the whip of golden energy, slapping them from above, visibly knocking the air out of them.

‘Now, now, I wouldn’t rush that much. We have just deemed you guilty of one murder attempt, second will only make things worse.’ Okui adds under his breath. ‘Especially for me, who’d have to explain how the heck did you kill a person twice.’

‘I won’t get killed, Okui-san.’ Rikka answers airily. ‘Not again.’

Okui looks art him, at the seal in purple, and nods.

‘Yeah, that’s true.’

*

The battle afterwards seems to end in a blink of an eye for Rikka, but mostly because he is not in control of his body for most of it after all. He can see what Shiki uses his body for, and feels that, had he had a burning desire to do so, he could’ve forced his Changer out of control. His feelings a mess of grief and rage, he decided it was better to let Shiki handle the fight after all.

When he comes to, he needs to hold back a gagging reflex- there are bodies all around him, and only some of them are completely scorched. Others seem ripped by some unknown force, some other have severed limbs, eyes glazed over, expression of animal fury on almost all of them.

It takes a while for him to notice Okui beckoning him closer. The man is the last person he wants to talk to at the moment, but, considering he has seen him slay three vampires in rapid succession, he might not have much choice. Ha approaches the hunter, face blank.

One look later, Okui nods slowly, and his companions around them start to chant. In response, bodies of the vampires start burning. Literally.

‘Sunlight Chant.’ casually explains Okui. ‘That’s where the whole „cannot stand the sun” myth came from. Though you probably aren’t in the mood to listen to the stories like that.’

Rikka doesn’t answer. Okui nods again. Then bows to him.

‘I know it won’t return your family, but I am sorry. You’re right being angry at me, after all you’ve held your end of deal.’ he straightens. ‘I was determined to finish them today, I didn’t know it would be too late. When the cu-Lilan rushed in, asking us to stop them, I honestly thought we would still be on time.’

‘You were wrong.’ Rikka answers, but the flames don’t raise from the ashes of his home. Okui nods.

‘I was. It took us too much time to save everyone from this threat. That’s why, I want to ask you, give us chance.’

‘Chance.’ Rikka repeats and hunter looks him straight into eye.

‘There’s void right now, left after that pact, leaving the village unguarded. It will mend with time, but for now, the community here is fragile, too fragile to be left without protection, and we have shortage of hands to leave guardians.’

‘You have barriers to amend that.’ Rikka says, supplied by Shiki’s knowledge. Okui hesitates.

‘Yes, we do.’ he finally says. ‘That’s why I’m asking you to give us chance; those barriers aren’t selective on who they allow in. Once we set them, any vampire in or out won’t be able to pass it. Any, Rikka.’

‘You mean you need me to go away so that the barrier is given its’ full potential.’ Rikka says, toneless, even as his brain works at highest gear it can in its’ exhausted state.

‘I don’t want to sound like I’m kicking you out of your own village-’

‘Even though you’re doing it.’ there’s a new voice in conversation, and Rikka looks at Lilan, standing few steps away from them with her arms crossed, the Okui child looking at her curiously from behind, as if it was first time it’s met human talking like that to a hunter.

‘Lilan. You were safe.’ Rikka realizes he’s smiling just the slightest bit, but the expression drops soon, as the village leader and Lilan’s father appear in his field of vision, much farther from them, compared to his daughter.

‘Rikka, you don’t have to agree.’ his childhood friend says, making a step towards him, stopping when her father shouts in a warning. Her face is one of frustration, waving at him. ‘Sorry, I- he-’

‘He let you come only under the condition you’ll keep clear from any vampire, and I fall under that category too, isn’t it?’ Rikka asks casually, pretending not to be hurt, or to see Lilan’s confirming but at the same time crestfallen expression. ‘Considering last time you were close to them, I’m not surprised.’

‘Rikka...’

‘Well, the cute lady over here is right, you don’t have to agree.’ Okui speaks up, and Lilan scowls at him in disgust. Rikka remembers their mutual childhood, number of days in the village Lilan spend looked after by his mother as much as her own relatives. If there was one person understanding his pain right now, it was her. ‘But I wouldn’t recommend that. Rikka?’

Vampire turns from both his speakers at once, and walks towards the burnt down house. Ash is still warm under his hand, when he leans down to touch the stone step that was left from entryway. Splotches of orange in front of him marked places where his flames melted down his mother’s rare iron kitchen utensils and finishings of their furniture, still shining brightly. There was also a lot of stone, cracked and completely shattered under the heat.

Somewhere under that, his mother and father’s bodies slept peacefully, one with the earth and each other.

Rikka knew what Okui implied- if he stayed and hunters left without leaving a barrier, he’d become the only protector of the village. Sure, Shiki could probably expend protectors from Takamura force, but they’d be vampires- the same he was, and the same that almost killed this village. Obviously, villagers wouldn’t be pleased or trusting, and Rikka knew anything he would ask of them to do to protect them would be received as continuation of Wanderers’ oppression. It would end in a bloodshed, one way or another, no matter how much Lilan trusted him to be different, how much Rikka _knew_ he was different to Wanderers; people here hated vampires, any vampires, for a good reason.

And although Rikka disagreed with his mother about not owing anything to the village, the best he could give them now was his own exit. For good.

 _„Rikka.”_ Shiki’s voice isn’t tentative anymore, it connects with him with ease. _„I want you to be able to know this place stays peaceful, until time won’t decide differently. That’s why, I need you to do something before giving your goodbyes.”_

Rikka nods slowly, following Shiki’s suggestions with mild curiosity. He stands up, turns towards where most of the village was being slowly swallowed by night’s darkness. Extends hand up, shooting a short look towards hunters, a warning, the „don’t disturb me” readable to any species. Catches look of understanding cross the Okui child’s features and it moving towards its’ older relative.

Then, he feels a rush of Shiki’s power, but now, instead of spreading out from him, it seems to hook and pull into itself, becoming more and more tangible on Rikka’s hand as the border of Takamura domain slowly withdraws to just in front of the village.

Rikka lowers his hand and looks curiously at swirling sphere of purple energy the size of big apple.

 _„Make any demand for protection you wish; you’re my representative now, and I’m not retreating from our terrains for free. Once you’re finished, bring this home.”_ Shiki simply instructs him, and Rikka realizes what he’s holding in his hand.

A piece of Takamura’s domain.

‘Okui-san.’ he speaks up, carefully tucking the sphere into sack he always wore at his belt. It was hot on his hip. ‘You know what just happened, I presume.’

‘Holy shit, Rikka.’ there’s mix of wonder, respect and fear in Hunter’s voice. ‘I don’t know what you’re for the young master of Takamuras-’

‘You know. I’m his Singer.’ Rikka interrupts dryly, and Okui swallows. ‘Since Takamuras withdrew, you don’t need to resolve to half-assed barriers, right?’

‘We don’t.’ agrees older hunter slowly. ‘But I guess you already have an idea what we’re supposed to do in return. Yuri-’

He turns to the child holding his forearm.

‘I’m going to make a deal, but it will be your generation to protect it, so you’re going with me.’

The child just nods, but its name stirs a memory and prompts another idea in Rikka’s mind. He shelves it for later.

Okui and the child approach him.

‘We’re going to protect the village in return for withdrawing any influence of vampires from Takamura Clan.’ slowly starts Okui. Rikka calmly slides into his speech.

‘Full glyph barrier and barrier creator needs to stay in the village at all times. No new pacts that will block help for villagers from outside. No caging any of travellers living in it.’

Okui winces.

‘Tall order.’ Rikka raises his eyebrow, hand resting on his hip. ‘Didn’t say we won’t fulfill it! Hey.’

Rikka lets out a small smile.

‘Good.’ he sighs. ‘Let Lilan take over the village once leader retires, even if she doesn’t find a partner by then. She’s amazing strategist so she’ll help you protect the village. Also, although I presume you know it, but, I want you to accept foreigners wishing to live in here.’

‘I get it.’ Okui looks behind Rikka’s shoulder. ‘Do you want us to-’

‘No, nothing from you.’ Rikka turns to his former house once more. Lets his own flame sparks come alive in his hand and form the flower beloved by his mother. Places it on the stone step that now looks like pedestal.

‘Say, Lilan.’ he says, and hunters turn like burned when Lilan answers with questioning sound from just few steps behind them. ‘When I go, and this one disappears too, can you plant all types of lilies you possibly have here?’

‘Lilies?’ Lilan asks, and Rikka smiles at the fire flower he just created. ‘Ah. Your mother’s favorite.’

‘She never could afford to plant them with the way we lived.’ he turns his head to look back at the girl. ‘I’ll get the money for that to you, through Izumi group. There’s lots of human traders-’

‘Don’t be stupid, alright.’ Lilan says, scowling at him, though the expression is spoiled by the red rims around her eyes. ‘I too owe auntie and uncle. That, I won’t let anybody deny.’

She adds that, glaring behind herself, where no doubt rest of the village gathered. Rikka’s mouth corners lift slightly.

‘Thank you.’ he says softly, before remembering something. He reaches next to the stone step. ‘Ah, it’s here.’

The bag he threw at the sight of his house’s door became his only belonging untouched by the fire he started. The belonging he didn’t need anymore, not really but...

‘Lila, catch.’ he’s careful to throw just lightly enough for her to catch, but strong enough that the hunters wouldn’t be able to intercept. She looks thoroughly shocked, but then she sniffs.

‘Those are-’

‘Distribute them to the most needing them, alright?’ he says, his expression becoming pained. ‘They were useless for me, but maybe they save somebody else.’

‘Herbs?’ the child named Yuri asks curiously. Okui sighs.

‘You’re mysterious guy, Rikka.’ he extends his hand. ‘I want to seal our deal now? Unless you have any other wishes.’

Rikka answers by reaching out and clasping his hand around that of a hunter. He flinches, probably not expecting Rikka to be this cold.

‘Just that you keep up what I requested of you for as long as there’s no end of world at line.’ he says in even voice and gold flashes with pink over their interwined hands. Okui nods to him once it fades, and he releases human’s hand.

‘Was that the chance you asked for?’ Rikka asks as the male rubs his hands together, golden sparks running all over his skin. Hunter smiles at him easily.

‘Sure was. Thanks, Rikka.’ Rikka nods, for the last time looking over his parent’s grave.

Fire lily blinks at him reassuringly.

‘I’ll leave you to it, then. I know you don’t need to hear it, but, don’t make me regret it?’

‘I won’t, that’s my job.’ Okui sighs. ‘Rikka, last time but I’m really sorry how it turned out-’

‘No need.’ Rikka cuts him off. Okui looks him in the eye for a brief moment, then nods.

‘I see. Thank you. I know it means nothing right now, but it was great working with you.’

‘Good to know that.’ Rikka answers, unable to return the pleasantry. He did lost his parents because of that cooperation.

 _There could be even more victims, though_.

‘I’ll take my leave now.’

‘Now?! It’s the middle of night!’ Lilan protests, and Rikka smiles at her.

‘And I’m a vampire, Lilan. Take care of everyone, okay?’

She doesn’t answer, not verbally. Instead, the bag of herbs thuds softly to the ground as she drops it to throw herself at Rikka, her father’s orders be damned. Rikka catches her despite his surprise.

‘Li-’

‘It’s unfair. You shouldn’t have to be alone now.’ she squeezes him harder. Rikka carefully returns the hug.

‘I won’t be.’ he says softly. ‘Even now, Lilan. I have a person who gave me a Song to Sing for my parents. I’m going back to him.’

_„I’ll wait, don’t worry.”_

Even with that reassurance, purple eyes naturally swim to the forefront of his mind. Collected. Calm. Not hostile. Curious.

Friendly.

‘I’ll be alright, so you too take care of yourself, and everyone in the village.’ he gently unwraps her hug and puts hands on her shoulders. ‘Be happy, okay? Ah, but don’t steal apples until you find new partner in crime.’

‘Hey!’ she sniffle-laughs, and Rikka smiles sadly. He’ll miss that smile, but.

He was going to outlive her anyway. Maybe it was better to let her live in his memory like that, young and strong and alive. His human-self best friend. His vampire self goodbye to his past.

 _‘Bonne nuit, mon ami.’_ he says, letting go of her with a small bow, before turning and walking away, not turning back.

*

Two days of nonstop walking later, he’s back at the forest, at the very place his history as a human ended.

Shiki waits for him by the same white birch they’ve met for the first time.

He’s not good with words, Rikka knows it. That’s why, when purple headed vampire just opens his arms, he lets himself fall into hug.

‘Welcome back home, Rikka.’ Shiki says, after a long while, as if not noticing his shoulder getting wet.

Rikka smiles through tears.

‘I’m back, Shiki.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the song Rikka sings here is finished Goodnight my Darling, and like, I'm fully aware that in general, Rikka's solos do NOT have the family-friendly undertones, but I'm pleased with how that scene ended panning out? Idk, I had this solution in my head long before I actually wrote this scene, so I might be biased a bit xD  
> Anyway, Rikka's arc ends and weird(er than before) timelapses start, since we need to get Shiki into his old man status before they'll meet Tsubasa and Dai-chan...(worry not, they will soon). Although we will need to say Goodnight to the other Okui so I hope you haven't gotten too attached to him (joke's on me, I did. Expect his name to come up a lot).  
> Also, I feel like Lily is not all that offensive of a song, more like passive-aggressive, and since we have confirmed Shiki cannot completely compose a song of the Singer he hasn't met just yet, what song do you think he's mentioned? (sorry for comment-baiting, but I'm curious if somebody caught a hint)  
> See you on the next update!


	4. Dark Moon Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...I lied about Tsubasa and Dai getting into spotlight soon, I'm sorry... next chapter for sure!  
> For now, enjoy(?) the weird timeskips we make to push the story forward a bit(and give Shiki his rightful title of the old man)!

The world gives him a year to get over these events.

He spends the first month mourning and being useless in general, but nobody blames him for that, not even Keito who was sent to them by the old head to check what the hell has caused Shiki to shrink their territory.

Shiki’s younger brother listens to the story, nods, compliments Rikka's Song, and leaves to report that the territory didn’t shrunk, but was exchanged for a powerful composition.

After a month, Rikka realizes he cannot go on like that, and throws himself into every task he can find in the residence, from cleaning, to mending, to taking care of the gardens. Shiki lets him do as he pleases.

When Shu comes by the next time, he instantly notices Rikka’s change. He offers news, of Rikka’s village becoming one of the strongest guarded places on earth, slowly rebuilding itself to its former not-really glory, a black-headed female chief having strong opinions and even more stubborn mind.

He smiles for the first time since his parents' death by then.

Shu also brings another vampire, at Shiki’s request. Vin is a traveller, Changed just like Rikka, by the previous head of the Izumi. Because his Changer wasn’t alive anymore, his aging returned to that of the human, and he rapidly became a white-haired vampire. His skills, however, remained sharp. He offers to teach Rikka everything he needs to know as the wandering vampire that’s not a Wanderer, a knowing glint in his eye.

Rikka agrees, mostly because he knows that his urge to do anything and everything once again stems from the unsettling need to travel. He has no idea why he needs to move, but part of Shu and Shiki speculation has his old habit be fed by Shiki’s own unconscious yearning for travel in search of the other Singers. With Rikka on the move, this need gets satisfied partially, even if the Singers are nowhere to be found, and, if Rikka was right, might’ve not been even born yet.

Vin’s teachings take up four months, enough time for Rikka’s traveller itch to become unbearable.

One day, Shiki just sighs, and pulls out a new scoresheet.

‘I’ll copy what I’ve managed to untangle for now; once I get something more figured, I’ll ask you to copy it onto your sheet. This time it’s a Duet.’ he simply says, and Rikka feels a wave of relief wash over him. Shiki understood.

He leaves three days afterwards, taking Vin’s offer of testing the waters together for the first time, older vampire’s destination being a town just at the border of Takamura domain, officially known as Izumi’s home ground.

From there, he travels to and fro for six months, stopping whenever the order came, and watching the world and its’ people slowly change.

People get tired of Wanderers, it’s blatantly obvious. The vampiric parasites are the cause of most cases for the travelling hunters, and most causes of the human deaths not involving a plague or an accident. The problem is, people do not differentiate between Wanderer and casual vampires. Aggression gives birth to counter aggression, people not waiting for hunters to deal with oppression, sometimes mistakenly venting it out on innocent vampire travellers. Those in turn give birth to disdain in vampires because while hunters are a necessary evil to balance their power, _how dare_ casual humans attack them?

Rikka is experienced enough to know when that hostility is turned towards him and leaves before it turns physical, Vin’s teachings giving him more confidence and allowing to stay outside at night. Shu and Shiki’s peculiar brotherhood gives him a roof over his head whenever times turn desperate - Izumi group was much looser in hierarchy compared to a vampiric Clan and spread all over the country, but all of them knew the name of their guardian and leader, and respected his friendships. That resulted in Rikka being offered shelter by the villagers and townsfolk with a sign for ‘wa’ carved on their doors, doorframes, painted on their walls, more often than not. He rarely could give anything but a story or help in menial tasks in return, but Izumi families were always graceful hosts, not demanding more than he could give.

He got a better understanding of how a Group worked thanks to that, too.

Vampires, stronger and naturally more agile, would serve as protectors, guardians, sometimes teachers, assisting their human groupmates as the merchant’s guards, children’s educators, fighters’ trainers, field work helpers. They would go where it was getting dangerous for human to go, and come back, bringing things useless for vampires, but indispensable to humans.

In return, all human group members were familiar with the fangs of the vampire. Rikka was lucky to stay in the house where Shu visited to introduce the eleven-year-old to the basics of blood draft.

Of course, with current air of hostility towards vampires in town, the child got scared. Father was apologizing profusely for his son’s disappearance, when Rikka walked in with a group of children, the aforementioned missing son included.

‘Shu?’ he greeted with air of surprise as the oldest child froze, a deer in the eye of a hunter.

‘Rikka!’ Shu’s surprised smile was wide, and quite obviously happy. ‘It’s good to see you.’

‘Right back at you. Are we interrupting something?’ Rikka asks, turning to the head of the house, currently fuming, staring at his oldest. ‘The children requested another story, so I thought I’d take them to the empty room so as not to disturb the work.’

Just like that, the man’s anger evaporated.

‘You’re spoiling them, Rikka.’ he says, and model tilts his head. ‘Our head took time out of his busy schedule to introduce Elim to the inner workings of the Group, but this rascal went and disappeared on me. So, he went to you.’

‘Inner workings?’ Rikka asks curiously, feeling like the oldest boy hides behind him, two younger ones still stuck to his either side. Shu nods, pointing to the seat opposite to himself. Rikka gathers all children in front of himself and sit them down, before sitting next to Elim, supportive arm over his shoulder. The kid took to him from the very first day he showed up, so Rikka figured his presence might help dissolve the tension.

With vampire’s growth, Shu doesn’t look much older than the children around him, but his eyes betray his real age and experience. He still manages to make them warm when he looks at the siblings on Rikka’s side.

‘Normally we wait to explain everything till the children cross the age of ten. It’s easier to remember everything like that, but oh well. I think I can simplify it, so that everyone in the room understand.’ he says, looking at a six year old boy and eight year old girl, currently staring at him open mouthed. Their father only nods.

There’s a bowl filled with water in front of Shu. He looks down at it, and suddenly, Rikka knows what other vampire is planning to do.

His suspicions are confirmed, when some of that water raises from the bowl to form a separate sphere, just floating there, above the table. Shu starts his explanation after children stop ooh-ing.

‘Imagine that the bowl and the sphere are two separate living beings.’ he points to each. ‘They start with about the same amount of water inside, but, as the time passes, the water will dry out, evaporate a little. It’s natural, there are not many things that don’t change with time.’

Rikka can see that Shu uses his power to amplify the evaporation process to be visible for children, the sphere visibly shrinking down. He then picks up a jug, standing previously on the side.

‘You can fill the water in the bowl back.’ he pushes the jug over to the eldest, who reluctantly takes it up and puts the water back in the bowl. ‘Thank you. But, even if you try to add water to the sphere like that-’

The kid follows Shu’s nonverbal suggestion, and tilts the jug over the sphere. Water sloshes down over it and onto table. When the boy rapidly straightens the container, sphere is the same size it was before he tilted the jug.

‘It didn’t grow back.’ notes the girl in disappointment, looking at the still shrinking ball. Shu nods, then moves his hand over wet wood of the table. Water answers his order and lands back in a jug.

‘Yes, the sphere cannot be refilled from any other place than the bowl.’ he carefully directs the ball down and up again, now connected by the thin stream of upwards flowing water. ‘But as a result, the bowl is again not full, and needs to be replenished.’

He looks at the three little humans in the room.

‘It’s not wrong to say that this sphere is a vampire, and this bowl is a human.’

‘What?’ Elim asks suspiciously. Shu smiles at him.

‘When you eat and drink, your body produces energy and also blood, that runs in your veins, letting you live. It’s like the jug you used to refill the bowl. Vampires also need to have blood in themselves, but, different to humans, our bodies cannot produce it - instead they have a way to take it from those who can produce it. Those things-’ he says pointing at his fangs. ‘Are only at the beginning of the whole system in our bodies, that multiplies taken blood and puts it into our veins, so that we can live.’

He points to the still cojoined bowl and sphere.

‘That’s why we don’t need to dry that bowl off completely - with just a little of its’ water, we can get energy to produce rest of it ourselves. That’s a blood draft.’

There’s silence while children try to comprehend what was taught to them.

‘That’s a lie.’

Rikka looks at the child sitting at his side in surprise, but Elim isn’t looking at him, staring at Shu. The father, until now quiet, cries out at his firstborn proclamation, but Shu raises his hand, his attention on the boy.

‘It’s okay.’ he calms the adult, before addressing the child. ‘I don’t have the reason to lie to you.’

The boy stands up abruptly, slamming both his hands on the table.

‘Then why has Rikka not bitten anyone, even though he stays with us for almost two weeks now?!’ he asks with a victorious look on his face. Shu looks at him considering, before smiling softly.

‘That’s actually a very good question, Elim, but explanation of it might be a bit private to Rikka.’ he looks questioningly at said vampire. ‘Can I?’

‘Go ahead.’ Rikka simply smiles. If he was honest, he was curious how Shu would explain his situation to the observant boy.

‘Thank you. We’ve already decided that sphere is the vampire, and the bowl is human, right?’ Shu turns to the children. ‘Rikka’s situation is a bit different to either of this, he’s more like... this.’

There’s another bubble of water raising from the bowl again, but this time, it’s connected with a thin thread with the sphere above it, while not being completely disconnected from the bowl. Children stare.

‘What’s that?’ the girl, bravest of them, asks. Shu smiles.

‘A Changed.’ he points to the bowl. ‘A person who was once a human-’

Finger points to the faint thread between new bubble and old sphere.

‘-that for some reason has established a bond with a vampire with enough power to connect another living being to it. He’s someone that once was human, therefore his body have the means necessary to produce the blood, but those means need to be sustained by the power of his Changer, the vampire. Or, he can use the newly acquired means to take the blood, if the Changer does not support him. That way, if the bond between Changed and Changer is stable, Rikka can just eat like a normal human, maybe a bit less often, and don’t need to drink blood. He will need it though, if something happens and Shiki, his Changer, becomes unable to give him energy.’ he uses his finger to sever the thin connection, and bubble falls from its’ suspended position onto the table. Shu puts it back in the bowl and it disappears.

‘Now, why I even explain this to you. You know your family is part of the bigger group who all share the same second last name, right?’ when the children nod, he continues. ‘The reason why we call it a Group and share a name is specifically because of what I’ve shown you.’

‘Whaaat?’ the girl makes it a point to show her lack of understanding. Shu smiles at her.

‘There are vampires who share last name with you.’ he speaks directly to her. ‘If you get into trouble, they will be obliged to help you, and protect you if they can. But, that’s only one way then, right? The hug isn’t nice if it’s only one side doing the hugging.’

Girl scrunches her nose but nods.

‘That’s what I thought, too. If protection is what vampires give you, they are stronger than you, so you can’t offer them your power in return-that would be adding to the already full container.’

‘I return with what they don’t have but I have! Simple.’ the girl looks pleased with herself when Shu nods. Her older brother doesn’t look as thrilled, though, and Shu turns his eyes to him.

‘The Group works on volunteering basis. That’s why we’re explaining it before you’re of age to take part in the exchange.’ he starts, and the boy blinks.

‘Before?’

‘Don’t you think eleven is a bit young? You’re not even going to start thinking about marriage until a few years from now on. But technically, you could be targeted by outside vampires by now, so to avoid that, let me explain few rules this Group has.’

‘Rules?’ Elim is calm, Rikka notices with relief. Probably because the threat of becoming living fodder is pushed away. Shu nods, raising hand and counting the rules on his fingers.

‘Rules. One, until you’re thirteen, nobody can even ask you for a blood draft. This applies to every human in the Group. Two, Izumi vampire will never demand, we can only ask, and it is your right to say no as many times as you need. Three, if you do agree to a blood draft, nobody is allowed to ask you for another for at least a month- your body can recreate blood, but it needs time for that. Four connects tightly with it: you can’t be asked for a blood draft if you’re recovering from a big loss of blood. If you feel fine and trust the vampire, you can offer it, but it most likely will be turned down for your own safety, unless special circumstances appear. Last but not least, while you’re free to agree to a blood draft with any vampire you trust, vampires from inside Izumi should be prioritized; they will also mix in if somebody from the outside causes you trouble by demanding your blood. That’s part of guarding duties. They might use bluff, but they won’t break the above rules. If they do, I’ll know.’

He says with air of finality, and his young body doesn’t make the statement any less serious and heavy. Elim stares at him in silence, mulling it over.

‘What happens if I say no?’

‘In an ideal situation? Nothing.’ Shu answers after a moment. ‘You keep getting vampire protection like before, and vampire goes on to ask other human - optionally pesters you with question day after day, although that usually doesn’t happen, it’s rude. But, I want you to think carefully, and weigh your answer every time you get that question.’

He looks the boy in the eye.

‘We don’t feed for fun, or to belittle our human groupmates, Elim. Vampire asking you for your blood might be starving, or recovering from heavy wound you’d know nothing about because of our regeneration. Your answer might save or kill a life.‘ he smiles softly. ‘Izumi group was built around that power of you, the humans, and it’s thanks to you we can survive. I do try to make sure every vampire in Group thinks of it in similar way. So, you don’t have to be afraid of your groupmates, Elim. Okay?’

‘If you’re stronger than us, you could’ve forced us into obedience.’ Elim says in prolonging silence, and Rikka inhales sharply.

‘We could.’ Shu says carefully. ‘But violence and manipulation always last much shorter than willing cooperation. Rikka knows a thing or two about it.’

‘Rikka?’ Elim asks, alerted. He smiles shakily.

‘There’s a group of vampires that do just as you’ve said, Elim, they call themselves Wanderers. They are hated by vampires and humans alike. And I hate them twice as much, because I was both.’

_„And those monsters took my past from me.”_

‘Those vampires don’t have friends anywhere they go, they can’t befriend anyone because they feel they're better than anybody.’ model shakes his head. ‘They’re disgusting, but also pitiful beings. Different to Izumi group, who are known and respected almost everywhere I go.’

Elim nods. One of the reasons he listened to Rikka were his multiple travels. Changed felt that, against his parents’ wishes, Elim will grow up to become travelling merchant, his hunger of knowledge of the world only confirmed that.

Shu exchanges looks with him. He probably also noticed new traveller growing up in front of his eyes.

‘If you don’t have any questions, I’ll be on my way.’ he offers to the humans simply. ‘You’re last of the members I needed to talk to.’

*

It takes some time to persuade Elim’s father to let Shu go, the effort being mostly successful only thanks to Rikka offering to see the head off much father than it would be safe for human. Thanks to that, they have a bit of time to themselves as well.

‘How’s Shiki doing?’

‘Jittery. Composing.’ Rikka thinks for a moment. ‘I’m not reaching out to him because then he’ll be using me to contact you all the time, instead of reaching out to you on his own like any proper person would.’

Shu chuckles.

‘Thank you for your consideration.’

A minute of silence later, Rikka asks.

‘How’s it going with your Singers?’

Shu just shakes his head.

‘Still can’t even feel them. Although, it’s the first time I’m feeling like it’s a good thing.’

‘Is that so?’

‘You feel that too, don’t you, Rikka.’ Shu smiles sadly. ‘The tension. It’s going to blow up soon, although I have no idea in what form. Thinking that my Singers won’t have to experience it gives me a bit of relief, though I never thought I’d say something like that.’

‘You’re way too selfless, Shu.’ Rikka stares at the stars above them. ‘If you continue like that, your teammates will have to be shooting stars to match you.’

‘Stop flattering me for no reason.’ Shu chuckles, though there’s warmth in his voice.

Rikka smiles.

‘Kindness is a reason enough, Shu.’

*

As soon as the weather gets a little warmer, Rikka says goodbyes to his graceful hosts and continues his travel. He notices much more local tensions and even more patrols of hunters, trying to manage peace.

His instincts kick in and he starts refusing requests demanding stay longer than two or three days, and disappears as soon as the order is complete.

Speaking about completion, Shiki’s newest Song feels like it gains its' own life, and Rikka slowly gets excited at the prospect of Singing it for the first time.

Goodnight My Darling is a melody he hums to himself to soothe the pain of loneliness that overcomes him now and then, but that new melody is something else altogether. His excitement doesn’t dim even when, in a moment of weakness, Shiki admits it’s created with echoes of their first meeting in mind.

It dims, however, as one night Shiki unceremoniously orders him to get back as soon as possible. When asked for a reason, he answers in monosylabe:

‘War.’

*

The single word carries so much pain, Rikka thinks with terrified wonder.

There are people on the streets, walking away from the fighting, looking for another place, place where they won’t lose a home. There are children, looking around in desperate search of their parents, parents who didn’t make it out of the direct line of the fighting.

Then, there are vampires, not fighters but casual vampires, walking alongside humans, heads bowed, faces hooded, desperate not to be recognized. Those also lost their places to belong, the amicable relationship with their human neighbors gone just like that. Rikka has seen what terrified people can do once they discover one of their fellow travellers isn’t what they presumed them to be at first.

Among this mess, people with "wa" etched onto clothes and belongings are like beacons of hope to everyone and anyone. They also lost their homes, and their belongings, and there are also children looking for the parents they lost, but they do not despair and fear like normal folk. They approach others with distrust, yes, and the foreign vampire is usually looked over five times before being allowed to even approach them, but the second they recognize their own, they take them under their wing, human or vampire, adult or child. Rikka observes one group for a few days, notices the matron leading them eyeing him suspiciously, but not mentioning him to two female vampires apparently guarding their human groupmates, deciding that he’s not a danger. He looks as she picks up a crying child from a roadside, catching the emblem of the group only after she dusted off his clothes. He watches her hug him, hears her proclaim.

‘You’re with yours now, so it will be okay.’

When the older female vampire finally notices him, she decides to approach him instead of attacking, and that also says a lot about the Group as a whole.

‘Those aren’t free food.’ she says instead of greeting. ‘And if you think about hurting them, I’ll finish you right here.’

‘I know.’ Rikka says, even as he catches a glimpse of the lady’s hands, used up from the fieldwork. So, not a trained fighter, just a guard because of circumstances. ‘Your head wouldn’t like it if you sold your own Group like food.’

‘So you’ve noticed the emblem.’ she says, eyeing him suspiciously. ‘Why eyeing us like that, then.’

‘I have acquaintances in your Group.’ Rikka settles on explanation after a moment of consideration. ‘I’m waiting to see where are you going, to find and check on them.’

‘Human acquaintances?’ she asks, eyebrow up. Rikka shrugs.

‘On both sides, actually.’

She doesn’t trust him, but lets him be, probably deciding that his presence won’t do more harm.

Rikka makes sure she’s right when they get approached by a band of Wanderers, leering at the female vampires and drooling at the humans. At first he just observes, people of Izumi group cooperating to put children into the middle of the group together with females, men forming a shaky circle around them, two lone vampires on either side of the circle, trying to look imposing.

 _„You want to join in.”_ Shiki sounds only slightly disapproving, as the taunting of the Wanderers gets more and more aggressive; they are not battle trained by any means, but they definitely were more used to fighting than two females. There was also fact there were simply more of them, six to two.

 _„They are Shu’s groupmates.”_ Rikka responds, and disapproval disappears.

_„Go ahead then.”_

And Rikka does.

*

He doesn’t realize how much of a difference Vin’s teachings made until he has four Wanderers knocked out with first degree burns and the other two fleeing the scene. The flames obeyed him even without a Song, and his body had no problems keeping up with his enhanced senses.

‘Just...’ the older female vampire of the Izumi group, the one who warned him not to treat humans like food, slowly regains her bearings. ‘...who in the world are you?’

He picks up his cape, thrown carelessly off after the first Wanderer, after courteous wave of curses directed at Rikka, rushed at him with his fangs out, triggering all of Rikka’s defense instincts. Putting it on again, he answers the question.

‘I’m Sera Rikka. Takamura Shiki’s Changed, if it tells you more.’

It didn’t, but his name caught attention of one of the men behind the vampires.

‘Rikka, you say?’ he moves to stand next to the vampires. ‘You were the one housing in the Rim’s house...’

‘Last winter.’ Rikka finishes, Elim’s father’s name triggering the memory. ‘Salem-san?’

‘You are him.’ Salem confirms, and his blue eyes show relief, when he turns to the group's vampiric guardians. ‘He’s the Singer of Shu-sama’s friend, he poses no threat to us. Some of our groupmates housed him for a short time even, before all of this, Ayla-san, Seila-san.’

‘I see.’ the older female notes with a nod. ‘Get prepared to continue on our way, while I talk to our... new friend.’

Rikka looks curiously at the female vampire.

‘You can say co-traveler if friend feels too intimate. It’s not like creating temporary groups isn’t in the nature of journeys.’

‘And where will your journey lead you?’ She asks, dodging the need to react to his suggestion. Rikka smiles softly, looking to the north where they were going to head out in a moment.

‘Back home.’

_„Isn’t that right?”_

_„You bet it is.”_

‘Home, huh...’ she scowls, but rest of her features relax. ‘I wish we could say the same thing as you.’

Rikka realizes implications.

‘Just a year ago, I lost my birthplace for possibly forever.’ Rikka says very quietly. ‘The place I call home now is more about a person that needs me there than anything else.’

He looks straight into woman’s eye.

‘I wonder if this won’t become the case for all of you as well. Shu’s kind.’

‘You know-’ she cuts herself off; of course humans wouldn’t house a vampire from outside the Group if he wasn’t related to the head Guardian. Finally, she sighs and extends her hand. ‘I’m Ayla. I hope you can help us get everyone to the Mizuiro.’

He grasps her hand, glad his instincts were correct and the gathering was heading to the unofficial capital of the Group.

‘With pleasure.’

*

With an Elemental user, the travel becomes much safer and because of that, much quicker. Their group grows in number, both people and vampires with the mark of Wa on them joining in. Still, within two weeks, they reach Mizuiro, and are welcomed with open arms, both by the residents, as well as other refugees who have found shelter in the city. Rikka finds himself enveloped in many tinier and bigger hugs from the families that housed him, but then suddenly, they stop, and part to make way for the man looking eighteen, but being much older and much more important than his age could show.

Rikka smiles in relief upon noticing Shu’s unscratched.

 _„Tell him to keep it that way.”_ Rikka snorts at the sudden intrusive thought.

_„You tell him yourself.”_

‘What did Shiki send?’ Shu asks with a smile the second they exchange greetings. Rikka winks.

‘Make him tell you that in person, or he’ll never fatigue himself to get out of his lair.’

Shu chuckles, but it’s a tired sound.

‘I guess I will have to.’ Shu says, then offers. ‘I know you just came with the last wave - thank you for helping them-’

‘It’s all I could make to return the favor.’ Rikka injects, and Shu shakes his head, but doesn’t argue.

‘I leave the city tomorrow for the summit of Highs, do you want to come with me? I’m pretty sure even Shiki can’t get out of this one.’

A groan in Rikka’s mind tells him that indeed, Shiki couldn’t. Rikka smiles, quickly rearranging his plans.

‘I’d love to, if you have place for me in the team.’ Shu nods, before excusing himself for a meeting with other officials from the Group, regarding safety of the city and plans for the summit. They were to leave tomorrow in the morning, so he was assigned a place to stay for the night and then left to wander the city freely.

It was quite literally the color of water, and the influx of refugees didn’t change it. Water was a part of every landscape anyone could draw of the city, from fountains on every bigger space between the buildings, to the literal waterfalls falling down the outer side of the defensive walls guarding the city, and canals cutting the city into smaller islands, currently remade to be capable of self-defense or quick abandoning, from what Rikka could see of the works around himself. Quite amazing sight, if he was honest.

 _„The previous Izumi head designed it.”_ Shiki informs him absentmindedly. „ _He wanted to create a safe haven for vampires and humans alike. He and Shu are the ones who established the rules of the Group to the current ones.”_

_„I wish there were more people like them. Well, both people and vampires.”_

_„If everybody were like them, we wouldn’t be in current situation.’"_ Shiki agrees. _‘But then, your and my Songs would not have been born.”_

„ _Right_.” Rikka tries not to let his amusement seep through the link. Trust Shiki to bring everything down to music.

*

The travel is a blur of talking with Shu, letting the groups of Izumis get past them and towards Mizuiro, and lookouts for possible ambushes. He actually feels relieved when they enter the space with so many High vampires gathered that the air is hard to breathe.

‘Shu. Rikka.’ Shiki breaks away from his father and brother to greet the newcomers.

‘Shiki.’ Shu greets back, Rikka just smiles, fully aware that Shiki won’t address him verbally, but...

_„Welcome back.”_

_„I’m back, Shiki._ ”

Nobody will say anything against small mental exchange, right? Rikka nods to Shu before moving behind Shiki, as the two Highs quickly brief each other on what’s going on.

Soon, the council of High vampires start and Rikka takes his place behind Shiki’s chair. As much as he could read his Changer’s disgruntlement at making him stand after long travel, he didn’t want other vampires to perceive Shiki as weird... or, weirder than they already thought he was.

Their situation doesn’t look that bad just yet, but a lot of Highs want to be vicious. They call for arming and repairing their hurt pride and fear that was instilled in lesser vampires by taking a leaf out of Wanderers’ book and subjugating the aggressive people and establishing vampiric rule by fear. Those who have some animosities with hunters seem to be leaning towards that idea, but they are opposed strongly.

Shu stands up after one particular vampire speech with lots of screaming and thumping fist against table for emphasis. His demeanor is nothing but perfect opposition to predecessor.

‘I have around thousand of people under my care. They’re adults, children, elderly. I also protect around three hundred of vampires, and those with vampire blood in them.’ he looks straight down at those vampires scowling at the mention of dhampires. ‘To some of them, those people are just acquaintances, connected by Group. But to some, people are friends, family, lovers. Don’t try to convince me that making them see those dear ones as lesser to them will make them happy, and that they will be eager to fight against others like them. I am the head of the Group first and foremost, position as High is secondary to that. People can drag my pride through the mud all they want, if this means my Group is protected. Of course, this applies to vampires as well.’

He eyes each and every pro-offense vampire separately, as other Groups’ representatives nod their heads.

‘Call me coward, traitor, whatever you want - I won’t lend a hand to destroying harmony within my Group for the sake of something as silly as pride.’

‘You’re young, that’s why you’re saying it’s silly-’ starts older vampire, surely aiming to use fact that Shu is still underage by a vampire standard, but Shiki interrupts him.

‘And if I say I agree with him?’ he raises eyebrow, watching older vampire fumble. Takamuras were one of the older clans, and nobody wanted to cross either of its’ heads, while all wanted to have them on their side. The Composer gene that run within the clan seemed to only strengthen that yearning. ‘Besides, it seems that it really is our side in the wrong, this time.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ asks one of the more reckless vampires.

‘Presuming we do organize and call for an interracial war, where you plan to place Wanderes?’ he answers in a question, and both Shiki and Rikka stiffen as the pro-war vampire huffs a laugh.

‘Our wild card obviously, I’m sure we can easily bribe them to do our bidding-’

‘And here you go, why we’re in the wrong.’ Shiki says. Meeting with not understanding stares, he sighs pointedly. ‘Rikka. When travelling with the Izumis, how many times were you attacked by the humans?’

‘Verbally? A few times. It never evolved into hand throwing, though.’ Rikka says, concealing his surprise. Shiki nods.

‘I see, and vampires?’

‘I’d say number of approaches were similar, but at least four got out of hand.’ Rikka says, then adds, catching to what Shiki was implying. ‘Three of those were Wanderers. Fourth was a mix, but I’m pretty sure they had a Wanderer in the bunch.’

‘I’m more interested why a Takamura Changed was with Izumi group.’ sniffs one of the pro-war vampires.

‘His teacher is my father’s Changed.’ Shu instantly replies. Rikka notes lack of 'step' before father.

‘And we’ve had open borders between Mizuiro and my domain for at least past decade.’ Shiki adds, tone unimpressed. ‘Perhaps before trying to drag us to a not our war, you could spare a moment to get to know us.’

‘Humans don’t differentiate between Wanderers and us.’ protests somebody from the undecided side, redirecting the talk back onto matter at hand.

‘But hunters do.’ Rikka unconsciously says. Shiki blinks, rapidly reading his thoughts. Then frowns.

‘That can go two ways.’ he sighs. ‘But, it is also action that seems to be lacking for the rest of the lords and ladies present here, so we might as well try it.’

He turns to the rest of vampires, staring with mixed amount of displeasure at High ignoring them in favor of talking with a mere Changed.

Shiki completely ignores that.

‘Hunters are main force that people will arm against us. Therefore, getting in contact with them and joining together in extradication of the vampires causing the disturbances that led to this situation in the first place might end the discord quicker than risky approach of going all out against all of human race - not to mention this plan wouldn’t be against morals of the Group, right?’ he asks. Shu tilts his head forward in thought.

‘As long as this won’t weaken the inner protections of the Group, it should be fine.’ plump vampire with short pink hair says, smiling softly. ‘Although it would be the best if we didn’t have to fight at all, but obviously, that’s beyond our reach now.’

‘It seems so, ms Kisaragi.’ agrees Shu, together with rest of the heads. Kisaragis were the biggest of the mixed parties, and, while not as influential as Izumis, still held quite the amount of control over interracial relations.

‘You want to surrender the fight without even starting it?!’

‘We want to avoid it altogether, but obviously you didn’t listen.’ Kisaragi says with reprimand in her voice. ‘Shiki, dear, do you have plan for reaching out to the other side?’

‘Well, one is walking on my lands right now.’ Shiki says, note of irritation seeping into his voice. Rikka smiles, despite the influx of confusing feelings.

‘Okuis?’ Shu asks, noticing Rikka’s expression, and Shiki nods.

‘Wow, talk about wild card.’

‘But hunters won’t start anything without them hundred percent against us.’ Shiki says. ‘Though I’m not pleased to say this, I sense head of Okuis already developing a successor even stronger than him. If that trend continues, they will become High clan within this generation, and the next one will be able to go against vampire High in a duel.’

‘You have surprisingly good view into their development.’ notes dryly one of the pro-war vampires. Shiki looks at Rikka, but answers shortly.

‘I do.’

*

It was actually interesting, how clearly the split went. The already involved clans opted for siding with Wanderers, the same race, and fending off against hunters. Higher vampires with small territories readily joined, no doubt hoping to expand. However, most of Group heads stood together with Shu on the other end of the spectrum, opposing the conflict, and once Shiki officially declared Takamuras to be part of the anti-war faction, five other clans and families also declared readiness to join forces with the hunters. While overwhelmed in numbers, those clans altogether with Izumis and other Groups seemed to be a very recognizable force.

With a disagreement ending meeting between Highs, Shiki and Rikka managed only the briefest of meetings over the scoresheets Shiki finally deemed finished.

‘-and that’s the feel of it. Any questions?’ his Changer asks once they go over it once, Shiki borrowing a practically forgotten music room and an out of tune piano in it. Rikka feels that the seat behind the instrument is the place Shiki belongs to the most.

‘When will we have to use it for battle?’ he asks softly instead, referring to the freshly made Duet, and Shiki sighs, shoulders weary with what the future holds.

‘No idea. Hopefully not soon, and not against anyone we’ve seen today, but. You know how that goes.’

Rikka nods, even though he doesn’t really know. Well, there’s very little they know for sure these days. But.

‘It’s not a mistake, Shiki.’ he says, and purple eyes look at him. ‘The siding with hunters. It’s not a mistake.’

He knows Shiki can feel his insecurity and anxiousness, but his words are sincere, and besides, his Changer needs to hear them. And of that, head of Takamura clan is also aware.

There’s a knock on the door, and Shiki stands up with a sigh.

‘Get the door please, it’s our new allies, no doubt.’ he says, and Rikka nods. ‘Let’s hope you’re right about my decision, Rikka.’

With that, he closes lid of the piano.

*

Diplomacy was left to the Groups, but Rikka is with them while they explain the situation to the small army that is the Okui forces. Kumo Okui looks as if he aged a decade in this year, but he still smirks, and jokes, and makes sure nobody takes him for serious until it’s too late. He doesn’t try to do it with Rikka, though.

The agreement is made, young heads of six vampire clans and families, as well as head of Izumi are made the Guardians of the agreements on vampire side, and Okui Yuri together with four or five High hunter heirs is made the same on the other side. Rikka barely recognizes the flurry of names, even if the one named Etou catches his eye, if mostly for looking like she didn’t belong on the battlefield, but well, he’s not the one to speak.

Their first battle together is actually an ambush, easily countered once Rikka lets himself use Goodnight My Darling in an offensive way, and realizes, much to everybody’s surprise, that the power is compatible with Yuri’s flame, their legacy as the descendant of a vampire allowing them to cooperate with Rikka. After that, the two sides of the conflict are clearly set.

Rikka learns to live in constant readiness to fight, and learns how to fight with people intent on robbing him of life rather than of his belongings, and learns to live with the stench of blood and burned flesh following his every step. He doesn’t Sing after that first time.

Shu, together with Etous and other Groups, are working twice as hard to provide for them and refugees caused by the war, and the remaining six vampire heads split the frontlines between themselves, each responsible for a portion of it, but all of them gratefully welcoming Rikka wherever Shiki sends him, reluctant as he is to endanger his only Singer, Rikka’s fame slowly bringing him a new name, of Fire Lily.

He finds it ironic that even now, his mother’s favorite flowers lend him their name.

He gets to know his village whereabouts, of it becoming a safe haven to the human refugees, and of the struggle to sustain it once Wanderers pick it as their target, of the miraculous way in which it survived being cut off from the supplies, a field of lilies growing on the outskirts playing a major role to that.

He also sees how much life the war drains from Shiki and Shu, both of them slowly crumbling despite his best efforts whenever he was near them. Keito was the one to make him realize what it was.

‘It’s their Composer’s talent.’ Shiki’s younger brother explains to Rikka once, when they share the campfire, Keito sent to check on the status of the fighting by the older head of Takamuras, and Rikka sent in for the very same reason by Shiki. ‘I never had brother’s talent, but I can see how he struggles; all those sounds are cacophony to him, and I’m sure the fact that the war silences other people’s Songs, even if those are not his to Compose, hurts him. Izumi-san is pretty much the same, only he feels it stronger.’

‘Because he has none of his Singers just yet?’ Rikka asks, and Keito nods.

‘You know how, to make a thread, you need to spread a wool over a wheel and only then onto a spindle? I think Singers are the spinning wheels for the Composers, helping them untangle the sounds surrounding them and weave them into a Song.’ younger vampire says, hands wrapped around his knees, staring into the fire. Then, he raises his eyes. ‘Though if brother doesn’t stop sending you into the worst places possible, he might end up getting in the same situation as Izumi-san.’

Rikka smiles.

‘Thank you for your concern, but I’m not that easy to kill anymore.’

‘I know, mr Fire Lily.’ Keito says, then chuckles, as Rikka rolls his eyes. ‘Seriously though, thanks for staying by brother’s side. He doesn’t even know how much he needs that.’

„ _I know pretty well.”_

‘Even if he said otherwise just now.’ Keito adds, catching the message Shiki has sent Rikka’s way, and Rikka laughs, a fond sound unbefitting the frontline.

‘I hope the war ends soon. I miss your Songs.’ Keito says, back to staring into flames. While he didn’t have the Composer talent of his older brother, he still could feel the Songs surrounding the people. As such, he could also sense the disturbances with them.

‘I miss them, too.’ Rikka says with sudden realization that it was true. The soldiers were too tired to sing, and the wandering performers were scared to enter the camp where both people and vampires lived. ‘That’s why, let’s end this ridiculous conflict soon.’

*

It takes another year for them to do so, but eventually, after much scheming and lots of ridiculously dangerous but successful missions performed by Okuis, Rikka stood next to Shiki, staring at the field where the next battle, hopefully the last one, was going to take place.

‘We’re going in first, Rikka.’ Shiki simply tells him, and Rikka can do nothing but nod in agreement. They get in front of their army just like that, Shu quickly realizing what is his friend’s plan and informing other generals - Rikka notes to thank him for it, if all of them survive it- and stare down at few thousands of vampires that choose to side with Wanderers, the source of the whole ordeal, now standing proudly in the middle of the opposing army, their countless battles thinning out their allies’ forces and not theirs.

‘Rikka.’

‘I know, Shiki.’ he raises his fist without looking, and his Changer bumps it. Rikka locks eyes with the Wanderer in front of him, reminding him of one of the perpetrators from that night.

Has it really been seven years already?

Wanderer’s general yells something, and his soldiers screech in answer.

‘So noisy.’ Shiki grumbles, even as the flood of yellow starts towards them.

‘Want to mute them out?’ Rikka asks sweetly, familiar swelling of something hot, burning from within him, raising to the front of his consciousness. Shiki looks at him, sensation ironically not nearly as familiar for him. He still nods.

‘Yes, let’s go.’

*

Once they dive deep into a Song, it doesn’t matter which one of them is more experienced with using it, all that starts counting is the heat, and how to move without getting burned by it while controlling it, how to feed it without becoming a fodder themselves, how to break opponents’ shield without dropping your own, how to stay true to the beat without losing the pitch, where to put your leg, when to raise your hand, if it’s already time to face each other or no. Although it doesn’t matter if they see each other or not, their presences clashing and molding into an entity completely different to either of them.

 _So that’s the Duet._ Rikka wonders, dancing amidst of the purple pink inferno.

He is pretty sure that at some point during the Song, their forces joined the battle around them, but it’s their fire that keeps the center field quite literally clean of any vampires aside of the two of them. There’s very little water Elementals, and none of them on the opposing side and willing to wrestle for control over the fickle element with Shu, growing to become the most attuned - oh the pun - of them all. That left the vampires to guard themselves from their flames with their energies, but most of them quickly realize the fire created by Takamura and a Changed affiliated with him reach temperatures impossible to guard themselves from for longer than few moments. Even if defense was possible, only Shiki and Rikka could move easily in the flames, without fear, without hesitation and with precision most people wouldn’t be able to reach on a regular battlefield. And the worst part for the Wanderers was, Rikka could clearly feel Yuri easily cross their inferno, like a juggler dancing on one wing of the battle, before disappearing in the flame maze, only to reappear unscathed on the other side. No other Okui did that, but neither did they need to - just one hunter, moving freely in the environment of the Song, put a strong dampener on the morale of the opposing party.

Then, their Duet ended, but the melody didn’t, and Rikka sends Shiki a smile. His Changer moved in front of him after throwing an amazed and exhilarated grin his way, and opened his mouth.

Fire answered Solo the same way it did to the Duet, but now Rikka felt the effect of the not-his Song on his body as well. It was like electricity, running along his every nerve, burning in his bloodstream, and he’s ready to laugh and scream at the same time, but opts to move instead, to dance on the battlefield, for once letting himself forget that it is the mass grave and that he’s helping in creating it. The guilt will come after the music is gone.

But it’s not gone after Shiki finishes, Rikka taking over from him, switching places, and that has to be the most aggressive goodnight yet. Fire flowers burn, and vampires burn with them, but every burned vampire more means one dead human less, and Rikka clings to that knowledge to sustain the aggression in his melody.

It’s not even twenty minutes, and the battle is already tilted in their favor, and Rikka exchanges hopeful looks with Shiki, before using more traditional methods to aid their side, not moving too far away from his Changer.

It’s that care in their distance that allows him to move when a lone Wanderer uses a commotion of the battle to sneak on said Changer and sends something akin to a beam of energy into Shiki’s chest. Rikka has no time to think about shielding himself, so he just braces for the pain and rushes into its’ path.

It still hurts.

It’s probably amplified by the interchanging waves of fury and terror he can feel from Shiki’s side, and coupled with exhaustion from the two Songs and battle up until this point, it becomes too much, and Rikka’s world goes black.

*

He wasn’t dying.

He knows it because he's had experience with that, but it still is a relief to know. When he opens his eyes, there are two worried faces above him, both flooding in relief the moment they catch his eyes fluttering open.

‘Shu? Keito?’

‘Thank god, Rikka.’ Shiki’s younger brother sighs with authentic relief. ‘You were unresponsive for more than hour now.'

His senses return to him one by one, and together with them, sensation of pain, dimmed considerably, as well as pure fury. His eyes widen against himself - was a living person capable of feeling this much rage?

‘It’s Shiki.’ Shu confirms. They exchange looks, and Keito stands up, rushing off to somewhere. ‘Do you think you can reach out to him?’

‘What happened?’

‘He saw you get hurt, Rikka.’ Shu tries to smile but the grimace is forced. ’I don’t blame him, I probably won’t fare better if my Singer gets hurt while protecting me, but. It’s hard to fight next to him like that.’

Rikka slowly turns head to where he felt Shiki, and. Well.

He didn’t see the vampire, but he also didn’t see the battlefield. All that was visible was a curtain of purple flame that both sides of the conflict tried desperately to avoid.

‘That’s...’

‘Shiki.’ Shu confirms, and Rikka doesn’t need anything else. He closes his eyes and reaches into inferno of rage that is his connection with Changer.

_„Aren’t you overdoing it? It was just a minor wound.”_

The roar of the flame outside dies out. However, the one in Rikka’s mind just grows.

_„MINOR wound? You literally crashed!”_

_„Normal peop- vampires do that after overworking themselves.”_ Rikka keeps his eyes closed. _„You do too, from time to time. Would do you better not to.”_

_„You’re the one getting hurt and yet you’re nagging at me? You’re unbelievable.”_

He smiles.

_„Whose fault it is?”_

*

Shiki withdrew from battle, but at this point it was more in advantage of their side; combined efforts of the infernos Rikka and Shiki’s Songs, and then Shiki’s berserker mode did, caused the numbers to dwindle on Wanderers’ side down to maybe a half of the beginning forces, with not even one fourth injured or killed on their own side. At this point the flames were more dangerous to their allies than their enemies, and as such, everyone greeted Rikka’s awakening and Shiki’s resulting withdrawal with relief.

By the midday, the battle was over, and so was Rikka’s healing process, aided with Shiki’s power.

In a way, he feels that the end of war was underwhelming.

For all the fear, pain, suffering and strain it caused to people and vampires around him, the end is simple, as simple as the white flag envoys of the opposing side carry while approaching their camp the day after the battle. They get invited to the tent, and within few hours agreement is made and set in motion. With three signatures - one of the representative of the opposing party and vampire and human representative of their side - the conflict that lasted for almost two years is over.

The results, however, are not. People still have nowhere to come back to, their villages and towns burned down, mothers still have lost their sons, fathers still have their limbs and minds shattered by the horrors of the war they weren’t prepared for.

The union between vampires and hunters means that they now join forces to help fix that, the seven High vampires that formed the core of their war force naturally taking up the mantle even in times of peace. Shiki belongs to them, and so Rikka is also involved in their actions.

He finds it incredibly ironical that, although he was barely of age in vampire society, Shiki was already the oldest of them. In a way, it was the youth, almost children, that lead them to victory.

Shiki just sighs heavily when he shares his thoughts.

Rikka gets attention too, not as a person, but as Shiki’s Singer, an incredibly powerful weapon - and this idea of himself terrifies him more than he could admit. Shiki realizes that much easier than he lets on, and as soon as he feels it’s safe, finds an excuse to let Rikka separate from himself and from politics, and return to his life as wandering piece of art.

He is incredibly grateful, even if the world really doesn’t feel like it needs models right now. He still helps escort those brave Izumis setting out of Mizuiro to try and settle back in places where their old towns were at, and help wherever he can, frayed trust in vampires slowly rebuilding thanks to Wanderers splitting into two groups- those who agreed to obey the rules set after war, and those exiled beyond territories ruled by the other vampires.

Then, world makes a jumpstart with development of multitude inventions like cars, and photographs and other devices, resources and possibilities of their use. Rikka is very briefly kicked out of the business, as first cameras need to use silver inside of the device and well, it doesn’t react well with the image of the vampires (more like, completely erases it), but few years later a man desperate to capture his expression of deep thought (he was contemplating whether to choose juice or tea, but okay) finds a way of using runestones in place of silver mirrors, and suddenly, Rikka is posing not only for classical paintings and sculptings, but also for photos, then first primitive ads and fashion magazines. Somewhere along this world change, Shiki breaks out of the Unit of seven, much to Shu’s dismay. Rikka doesn’t really understand his Changer’s intention, but he accepts that the man considers his duty to the world finished, and now wants to focus on his beloved music.

Rikka just wishes he was better at communicating it. As it is, he is the one to try and console Shu, and force Shiki to keep in touch with his younger brother figure, and gradually, frayed relationship mends, even if there’s still a tone of regret in it, tone of distance that Rikka can only hope will mend with time as well. He disliked losing friends.

Years pass, and he gradually manages to strip the name of Fire Lily from its’ battle connotation and change it into artistic one. All in all, he thinks, world goes in the good direction, people if not friendly, then able to coexist with vampires, and feeling all the safer, better for it.

He realizes he’s lived nearly as long as a vampire as he did as a human seventeen years after his Change. Shiki jokes dryly that by human standard, he’d be an of age vampire next year and they should celebrate it. Rikka replies that he’ll get the guest list ready for Shiki and that he’d better be ready, because Shu will be at the very top.

Of course, the fate has different plans, and the world ends just as the year wraps up.


	5. Grave of Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a happy title, thank you, Shiki :P  
> In all seriousness tho, first part of this chapter was originally written together with previous one, but I cut it out bc... if I included it, the previous chapter would have only 5k words less than the rest of the work put together lol, forgive my running mouth (keyboard?). Anyway, I promised Tsubasa and Dai-chan make their appearance in this one for sure, right?  
> Surprise, this time I didn't lie!  
> Also, foreshadowing for Quell... try to catch it! (You won't have much trouble with it, it's about as subtle as a stone dropped on your head)  
> Also, chapter warning: It's long. Hella long.

Nobody knows where they came from, or why they threw themselves at the living people as soon as they see them. It’s not like they feed, no. They don’t even have one set shape of color- some are but a shapes of bodies, moving on sheer willpower, some don't have heads or limbs, some don't have parts of their faces; then there are some that look just like people, only their joints jerking unnaturally, as if pulled by the invisible string.

Some of them are bigger, their size varying between that of carriage horse and few year old birch tree; they look like hovering human corpus with multitude of arms, each with unnatural number of fingers with even more unnatural number of joints, wiggling in unsettling way, and grey armor like skin, flapping around like a parody of clothes. Those beings are without a face, only uneven line in place where on a living being you’d see mouth, and two gaping holes in place of ears.

Those are even more dangerous, because while the smaller ones will chase after and kill anyone, those giant beings don’t kill. Instead, the black... something, streaming from their fingers in dark lines, sticks to the skin of people, infecting them through their pores. If there’s even smallest injury, infection was almost instant; human or vampire, the victim’s skin would grey out; depending on the individual, within moments or hours, their eyes turn white, their limbs start reshaping and they join in the army of smaller beings. The worst part was, the one responsible for change seemed to have control on both its’ newly made soldiers, as well as original beings, and used smaller abominations to hurt and change as many people as it could.

It’s no wonder people started calling them Marionettes, and the giant monsters were dubbed Puppetmasters. Of course, it’s not like humanity didn’t try to fight back, but weapons invented with the newest technology do nothing, special blends of metals end up being eaten through by the black substance- which soon was fittingly dubbed as Black Despair- and there’s nothing humanity can do but give field, evacuate from it’s villages and small towns into bigger, multiracial cities, where vampires and hunters continued to cultivate their style of fighting, based on energy, on glyphs and runestones imbued with power. The fact that weapons invented to fight vampires worked on the new thread rose question if its’ origin wasn’t one of the vampiric laboratories, but the problem got quickly solved. Marionettes attacked both humans and vampires, and even if Black Despair took longer on vampires, it eventually corrupted them as well. Even if the creators were vampires, they most likely has met their end by the hands of their creation, were the common belief.

Within his first meeting with the monsters, Rikka discovers one important fact: Power of High elemental was capable of burning Black Despair.

He travels with small group of human refugees, searching to hide in nearby city, when they’re attacked by a squadron- if you could call a mass of bodies that- with a Puppetmaster hovering threateningly just behind them. There’s few hunters and vampires in the group, and they instantly form a defensive formation, so the Marionettes are unable to reach the civils.

Puppetmaster however, seem not to notice the screaming and crying children behind the backs of men and women. His focus instead is on the end of the formation- where Rikka stands. First Marionettes attack right there, and he is overtaken with grief- some of them have retained facial features, and dark streaks on their cheeks could only be tears, corrupted by Black Despair like the rest of the body.

 _„Don’t hold back, Rikka. They aren’t alive and free, not anymore.”_ Shiki urges him, and thats when Puppetmaster jerks visibly, all of it’s grotesque corpse turning towards the vampire. _„What the-”_

 _„He recognizes your presence in me?!”_ Rikka risks a theory, even as he clasps hands, only to open them with flourish, fire flowers spilling out in front of him, settling on the ground and bursting in fury in contact with Marionette.

 _„Impossible, even sensors aren’t capable of that, not without the upgrades like the Okui glyphs.”_ Shiki retorts. Hunters, encouraged by Rikka’s display of power, rush to deal with their own opponents. Puppetmaster has yet to make a move, beyond staring at Rikka with a face without eyes. Rikka hears rush of thoughts from his Changer, but none of it is directed at him, so he focuses on sustaining lilies, standing like a fire wall between the living and the -probably- not so living ones. Then, Shiki has an idea so shocking that even Rikka’s control slips a bit and fire flower bursts near the human hunter dealing with Marionette with femme-ish features.

‘Oi.’

'Sorry!'

Rikka redirects the flame onto another approaching puppet, but his attention is at Shiki’s revelation.

_„You don’t think-”_

_„They only have marking for mouth and ears. And it apparently senses me through you._ ” Rikka experimentally makes few short leaps to the side, leaving his flowers to guard his position. Puppetmaster doesn’t order the Marionettes to go into the crack his move created, instead its’ deformed face follows Rikka. _„Or at least, its’ attention is on you. Not the other vampires. And the only thing that differs you from others-”_

 _„Is that I’m Changed by you.”_ Rikka stops, eyes staring at the monstrosity on the other end of the temporary battlefield. Actually, from this position... _„And that I’m Singer.”_

 _„This might work.”_ Shiki agrees to his unworded plan. _„New Solo should be fine.”_

Rikka smiles. Ten years was a lot of time, and Shiki unwound notes of many Songs surrounding them, even if he never managed to finish them, absence of two more Singers hindering his progress. He also dabbed into Composing Songs for few humans, simple melodies that didn’t seem to have their own Composer, and therefore not surrounded by the taboo of Composing things belonging to somebody else. Their powers weren’t even half as potent as Rikka’s Songs, but their receivers didn't seem to mind. As a result, Rikka could almost always hear a melody with stamp of Shiki’s work on it wherever he went.

His Solos were still the only Songs Shiki finished down to a t. And this newest one he received on their meeting just a few months ago was pretty strong.

And definitely fitting, considering their enemy was a closer undefined moving form you couldn’t even say was living. His flowers sway as if moved by invisible wind.

Rikka takes a deep breath, and the air starts being permeated by a more controlled sound than the mayhem of the battlefield.

And Puppetmaster _screeches_.

The thin line that was his mouth changes to a gaping hole of darkness, Black Despair spilling from it, onto ground, its many limbs and onto Marionettes, and the sound it articulates is nothing a living creature should be capable of uttering. Rikka almost loses threads of his own Song because of it, the screech throwing him off balance.

Only almost, though. He already Sang and danced on the battlefield, it wasn’t anything new.

What was new was that all of the Marionettes touched with Black Despair now rush at him, and those not engaged elsewhere also turn in his direction. In a moment, he has a small army charging at him, Puppetmaster close on their heels.

 _„Perfect.”_ Shiki and Rikka think simultaneously as the Song hits the refrain, and flames explode in time with Rikka’s voice and his movements. He has a ridiculous thought about serenading monsters to death, but it’s washed away by the sensations Song brings, fueling his flame, burning away at the threads of Black Despair hanging from Puppetmaster’s fingers, climbing up its’ arms, catching on its’ clothes. Marionettes fall one by one, but their leader pushes forward, as if not noticing the flames disabling its’ most destructive weapon, eyeless face still focused on Rikka and Rikka only, it’s scream waning or rather, moving onto a level where only Rikka was able to still hear it. He wished he didn’t.

Puppetmaster preserves to the bridge and Rikka pushes all of his power into what comes after, even as all morphed hands reach out, his body finally in reach to the monster. He stares right into shrieking face, as his lungs draw in a breath to start the execution of the abomination, and in answer, flowers bloom on the clothes, skin, hands, neck of the monster.

‘ _Unending Noise, even if your voice drowns in it-_ ’

Flowers of fire start blooming on the Puppetmaster’s face, filling its’ mouth, spilling instead of Black Despair, and simultaneously, one arm grabs at Rikka's shoulder; he doesn’t feel it, his senses in the Song, in the moves it dictates to him. He moves to the corpus of the Puppetmaster, his fingers shaking as he presses them on the place human body had heart. He feels fire on the side of his neck and a wave of heat passing through him, melting with his power and long note of his voice, and pushing into the monster, immobilized by the fire surrounding them and melody finally reaching its end.

Inexplainable hovering that made Puppetmasters able to move disappeared, and the monster fell to the ground. Rikka stared at the melted face, no longer recognizable in any way.

The shriek also together with the monster that started it, submerging him in blessed silence. Rikka only after a moment realized the silence also meant the fight has finished, and turns.

Marionettes are strewn around the plain, none of it moving, quite a number scorched in his flames, but a fair number immobilized by well aimed shots and cuts of the other fighters. All of whom stand in front of the civils they protected, staring at Rikka- no, that was wrong. He reaches hand to his neck.

 _„It was about to take you with itself, and I was not letting that happen.”_ states Shiki’s voice in his head. Rikka brushes against heated skin where his Changer's ownership seal still shines, and smiles weakly.

_„Thank you.”_

He reassures other hunters that everything is now alright and catches a whisper of ‘Fire Lily’- right, he didn’t mention that part of his past to fellow travellers- from somewhere behind them. Then, just as they turn to fix the vehicles damaged in ambush, adrenaline leaves Rikka’s body and the world goes black.

He wakes up a day later, already at their destination. Other travelers fixed damaged vehicles and buried the Marionettes, before taking him and moving to the city. Thankfully, the one of the six vampires from the -once again- leader unit turned out to be Shu, easily explaining reason behind his collapse to other survivors.

‘No, Rikka isn’t infected. Shiki wouldn’t allow that.’ he waves away their concerns. He then looks at Rikka, sitting on bed and massaging his arm- the Puppetmaster left an ugly bruise there. ‘He had to withstand being in center of two enormous powers colliding with each other. Was the inductor of one of it.’

‘It’s still visible, huh.’ Rikka smiles weakly, pointing to the side of his neck, and Shu nods.

‘So?’ he prompts. ‘I doubt Shiki would put you through something like that without a reason.’

‘We might... have found what the Puppetmasters are after.’ Rikka says. ‘Or at least, what picks their interest on the battlefield.’

‘A Song.’ Shu instantly guesses.

‘Or its’ Composer.’ Rikka adds. ‘Puppetmaster reacted to me and Shiki talking.’

Shu hums, nodding slowly.

‘We will have to conduct few experiments to confirm that suspicion, but, considering their actions, it’s possible...’ he catches Rikka’s eye. ‘People capable of using Songs are often in attacked groups. After we confirm it, we will have to call a council to inform everyone of the results.’

‘So, the fight is on.’ Rikka smiles a smile without happiness and Shu returns the exact same expression.

‘Sorry, but I think we will need your help again.’

*

They do, and Rikka fights, and fights, and fights once again. Within few months they confirm original theory- Marionettes yearn for Songs, and will instinctively focus on Singer, as long as there’s no Puppetmaster to order them otherwise.

As for Puppetmasters themselves, they choose Composers as their main targets. With just one battle where both Rikka and Shu are present, it is made painfully clear that Changed is swarmed with Marionettes solely for the purpose of keeping him out of the way of the giant monster trying to get to the Water Composer, only said Composer’s unit cooperation keeping the monster at bay, and eventually destroyed.

Speaking of unit, they realize yet another thing- Black Despair, the substance Puppetmasters seem to produce and use to infect people with, can be fought off with pure Elemental power. Roa’s light seems to have the easiest time dealing with it, but Shu’s water manipulation also is capable of forcing the body- a seventy-percent water solidification after all- to repulse the Despair and extract it at the price of slight dehydration. Rei’s Earth element leaves a mark on the infected body, a tattoo-like trace of the infected cells that also seems to be more potent to re-infection, as if immunity of this part of body was forever gone. Takaaki’s thunder seems to bear similar results, with weaker people simply incapable of bearing burden of the power so strong, even for the seconds it takes for him to work the poison out. Remaining unit members’ elements fail to destroy Black Despair without strong injuries inflicted on the bodies of both humans and vampires, so they all agree to use them as a last resort. They're still incapable of doing anything to the already changed Marionette, beyond mercy killing.

From a very unpleasant experience Rikka knows that, when channeling Shiki’s flame, he’s also capable of stopping the infection of Black Despair, but at the price of scarring the infected tissue, basically cauterizing the sickness in the body.

Speaking of Shiki, even though he actively partakes in their fights and councils through Rikka’s presence, he seems to be stalling his return to the unit. Rikka senses his reluctance, but is unable to convince himself to urge Shiki more than he already does. He doesn’t even know why he can’t, and Shiki doesn’t find it important enough to tell him. Rikka feels spark of irritation, but is also aware that it was just the way his Composer was - if it didn’t regard music, it was of second importance. Even if lives were at a stake, but somehow, that music-oriented focus seemed to work, even Shiki’s pieces made for not his Singers working on weaker Marionettes, and capable of purifying the battlefields afterwards. Slowly, two pillars take shape- Field and Backstage, further divided into Battle and Support.

Even then, they keep losing ground, attacks coming from all directions, and more and more cities fall, citizens evacuating to bigger conglomerates, protected by High families and obviously, their Great Unit.

Mizuiro is among those fallen.

News reach them as soon as Shu leaves to help with suppression of attack in the west region, and Rikka doesn’t think twice before pushing for the entry approval for the Group survivors to their shelter, minimal protests dropped after his voice is supported by other unit mates of Shu present. They are small from the start, everybody remembering Izumi group and the support they offered to anyone needing it, in time of peace and in time of war.

It doesn’t mean they aren’t chased by the Marionettes and Puppetmasters, and by the time they reach the shelter, voices raise again, that the gates shouldn’t be opened, that the lesser should be sacrificed for the better good, that-

Rikka slams the hinges of the great gate closest to the running people and flashes of lesser vampires desperately trying to cover their human group mates' escape. He is joined by the Rei on his left, and on the right, he catches sight of secretive smile and bright hair of Okui Yuri.

Somewhere during the fight he catches the sensation of water elemental back on the battlefield, notices Puppetmasters get distracted by the presence of their mirror opposite, of Composer creating the Songs that they take away from people. Rikka gets filled with bad feelings when he realizes Shu’s power is easily being overwhelmed.

‘I’ll go!’ Rei screams and before Rikka is able to answer him, High vampire moves in the direction his youngest unit mate is fighting in. Rikka has nothing else to do beyond spreading his own power and covering the blank spot.

They’re backed against the wall of the shelter, an impossibly strong glyph construction powered by multitude of sources, and suddenly, Rikka hears Yuri, human calling for his withdrawal behind the gate.

He does as asked, and the gate smashes behind his back, three or four chanters instantly starting up the work on it, mute screams behind the walls quieting as the Marionettes realize they won’t get anybody else today and retreat slowly.

Rikka doesn’t feel relief, the sensation of wrongness still present, and he tries to catch the moment it started.

The sight of the Izumi Group, maybe? It looked so small from afar... but it didn’t mean anything... even if his heart still beats rapidly. He meanders around the people (he ignores the glares), looking for the Izumis - he’s sure he will find the answers once he sees them. There’s number of people crying, few lamenting - there were more than just one group in that batch of refugees, it seems - and people and vampires trying to help them, but Rikka keeps searching.

They were safe for now, he knew it technically, but-

He feels as if something pierced his heart when one more cry of despair joins the lamentation. This one is slightly different though, and he feels his feet moving of their own accord. The cry is inhumane in its’ rawness, the pain, the hopelesness, the sense of complete and utter failure seeping from it, and Rikka feels his heart clench when he reaches the scene, and realizes what has happened.

Mizuiro survivors indeed arrive, the safespace granted to them because of the input of their Head in fending off the Marionettes and Puppetmasters. The same Head that now knelt on the ground, doubled over in pain only a Head who lost most of their Group will feel, a cry tearing from him at the sight of over thousand group reduced to about thirty people and vampires, some with visible marks of Black Despair. A scream that tore at the hearts and wounded souls, because nobody could do anything to ease the reason to it, not even the Groupmates who survived, staring in pained, dumbfounded silence at their protector.

 _„Rikka. Go to him.”_ Shiki’s voice sounds urgent in his head, but for the first time since he got Changed, Rikka disobeys, anger bubbling up in him.

 _„You should be there.”_ he sends back, still watching Shu, the ever calm, composed, always a little bit sad Shu, finally break down. _„You should be the one with him, not me._ ”

The silence on the other side is long and heavy with guilt.

 _„I know.”_ Shiki finally answers, and it’s much softer and much more unsure. There’s also pain, pain at the sight of a dear person suffering, and Rikka feels his anger waning. _„I know, Rikka. Please. Don’t punish him because of me.”_

 _„Come here.”_ Rikka says sharply, and almost jerks at the instant feeling of reaction on the other side. He himself starts moving towards crumpled Head. _„You should be here in the first place, but this will have to do. Come, Shiki._ ”

Shu doesn’t recognize him, hands fisted and vampire just weeping his heart out onto the ground, his energy surrounding him in unstable cocoon, and leftovers of his Group, the only thing he had similar to the family, surrounding him, not sure what to do now that their pillar was in a state he was, and their elders were pretty much wiped out. Rikka gets past them without a problem, and kneels carefully next to the crumpled vampire.

‘Shu.’

He tugs the man gently towards himself, and lets him cry on his shoulder, well aware that for that kind of pain, fake words of comfort will only end up hurting more.

But, he didn’t need to let other people see his despair. And he could give Shu a place for his grievance, the same one he once went to, to say his goodbyes to the people that gave him life.

Goodnight my Darling isn’t a song of lament, but of nostalgia, losing and gaining things. It’s not suitable for a funeral, but for coming to terms? Reminiscing? It has to suffice.

Rikka coaxes melody and with it, his flames, out into existence, a halting tune not stopping the wall of heat and light to enclose them, hiding Shu and his grief, his despair, from humans scared by it and vampires hoping to prey on it, and allows him to just be, to cry until his heart finds comfort in the tears, and the pain from the loss of over nine hundred lives connected to him will subdue enough to let him lead the remaining ones once again.

He can feel familiar High auras just at the edge of the barrier his flame made, and he reshapes his power, sends a message, a request to let him take care of Shu for a bit more. In answer, five other auras back away, but not too far, and Rikka realizes that the rest of Shu’s unit decided to take care of remaining members of the group while Rikka took care of its’ Head.

Shu calms down during the Song, but his grief is still raw, so Rikka continues to shield him, and to be there for him. He can feel his Changer moving, getting closer to their location, and it seems Shu can feel it as well, his connection with Shiki still deep despite their disagreements. He quietens.

‘Sorry, Rikka.’ Changed just squeezes his arms tighter around the other man.

‘That’s my line, Shu.’ he whispers back.

*

Shiki gets to them in record time, and after one look at his counterpart, drags Shu off to somewhere.

Rikka doesn’t follow.

He’s still unable to process the fact that Shu has just lost most of his Group. He’s unable to believe that, in return for saving strangers, he lost people he swore to protect. That Vin, that so many of the people and vampires he’s met during his travels, so many of his hosts are just gone for good...

He meanders among these few dozens of exhausted people and vampires with Wa on them, sitting, laying down, staring with empty eyes into space as if not seeing anything of what was around them. Those people lost friends, family, and now were on a verge of losing their Guardian. The Black Despair stops on most of those people infected, as if just Shu’s presence blocked it from taking more than it just did... Even if Shu himself was now drowning in return.

‘They’re strong.’ says a voice next to him, and he almost jumps up in surprise. Yuri stands calmly next to him, their aura muted. ‘Both Izumi and their Head.’

‘How do you know it?’

‘He didn’t drown all of us, that’s a first sign.’ very calmly answers Yuri, then points at the people with Black Despair marks. ‘Then, even though he must be physically sick with all of the severed connections and simply his feelings, he’s already protecting them from further spread.’

‘He won’t be able to heal anybody any time soon, though.’ Rikka says weakly, remembering the shaken energy surrounding Shu. Knowing the younger vampire, he was probably doing everything to just keep it all together and not let himself be the source of yet another misfortune.

‘Then, maybe we should help with that.’ Yuri says slowly, as if realization dawned on them only now. ‘I’m the Head as well, after all.’

Rikka looks at them in shock.

‘You are?’ when they nod, Rikka weakly inquires. ‘Then, Kumo-san...’

‘Three weeks ago.’ shortly replies Yuri, their thin shoulders squaring. ‘One Puppetmaster too much, even for an Okui.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Rikka says, still thoroughly shocked. Yuri observes him before saying quietly.

‘That’s my line. We’ve lost your village in that attack. Most of the people managed to evacuate, but some olders...’

‘Olders...’ Rikka swallows; his body only recently has finally started growing again, but it wasn’t the case for the rest of people. Lilan would be nearing forty, which for human was almost old... he forcibly calms his breathing. ‘I did say you have to keep your end of deal only until end of the world.’

He manages to choke out dryly, then makes a wide gesture with his hand.

‘And this very much looks like it, Yuri-san.’

‘Just Yuri is okay. We’re both lilies here.’ then before Rikka is able to retort, they raise their voice. ‘I need three more hunters here! Get vampires out of the close proximity, Rikka. Sun spell works on this stage of infection, but it still hurts your current kind.’

‘ _Current kind_ , huh.’ Rikka manages a weak upwards tilt to the corners of his lips. Yuri smirks at him.

‘Would you prefer secondary race?’

Rikka shakes his head, before carefully moving away from the hunter to do as they asked. He’s known among Izumis but even then it takes time to convince vampires to move away from their human counterparts, their need to protect triggered by the past events, and not yet ready to die out.

It’s probably also the reason why there’s so little humans with signs of infection, though, just five, Elim, now a fully grown man, among them. Yuri and their chosen helpers move so that they have all infected between themselves and on Yuri’s sign, chorus chant starts up, and some of the dead look in the people's eyes is replaced as their bodies start feeling foreign power invade them and attack their illness.

Rikka watches fascinated as the ashen grey marks light up in pure gold, before disappearing, but he is one of the few- most vampires look away, hissing in discomfort.

The healing lasts all of few minutes that seem to stretch into hours, and by the time it ends, Yuri has beads of sweat running down their face, their helpers straight down collapsed to the ground, but their patients look disbelievingly at their hands and arms.

‘Only Black Despair is gone.’ Yuri warns the man trying to jump up. ‘All other injuries still need treatment.’

‘We can deal with that!’ the oldest looking woman in the group checks on her groupmates, before turning to the blond hunter and bowing deep. ‘Thank you.’

‘Thank your Guardian.’ Yuri waves the gratitude away. ‘It’s him who kept you sane. All of you.’

He adds meaningfully, looking at the vampires with black streaks still on their skin.

‘Not sure for how much longer he'll be capable to keep that up though.’

‘Ah, but it’s not your worry anymore~’ Roa appears behind Rikka. ‘Though I’m glad you took care of humans, mister Okui Head, less work for me~ Rei, I’ll start with the worst affected. Rikka, how’s our baby of the bunch and his until recently useless big brother?’

‘Until recently?’ Roa sends withering look at one of his teammates’ who uttered those words.

‘He is on the move now, and that’s what’s important.’ he accentuates his words, before smiling at Rikka. ‘So? You’re the only one capable of telling where they are.’

Rikka frowns, but well, Light vampire is right. He tenatively reaches out to Shiki.

Melody is intense in its’ despair, its’ yearning and its’ regret, and Rikka almost loses his footing. It dies down, Shiki rapidly cutting him off, but not without a subtle push.

‘They’re working on it. In some Composer way even I am not sure what to make out of, if I’m being honest.’ he absentmindedly massages his neck, then looks at the remaining infected Izumi vampires. ‘We probably could hurry the process up with cleaning of the infection.’

‘Sounds like a plan.’ Roa exclaims, stopping to look at purple mark on Rikka’s neck. ‘Ready to help?’

‘Only with light cases.’ Rikka reluctantly agrees. ‘I don’t want to incapacitate anyone while helping them.’

‘Sounds fine to me.’ Roa nods, and Rikka realizes that the man’s eyes appear bigger than they really are, and it’s because of the dark shadows circling them; he realizes he sees most of light elementals wearing similar make up of exhaustion.

And yet, Roa was still smiling. Like Yuri, he was still holding his head up.

Noticing Rikka's staring, bright headed vampire turns his whole body to him.

‘Until we crack the opponent, optimism is the only thing keeping us from breaking.’ he says softly. Then, he smiles and it’s a tired, but genuine smile. ‘Though I must say your Songs do a great job of giving us hope as well.’

With that, he leaves stunned Rikka, and starts tending to the vampire wirth half of their face already changed by the Despair.

And he heals him.

*

Shiki doesn’t return with Shu to the camp. Instead, he requests for Rikka to gather and bring the remaining members of the unit to him. And while Rikka is still a bit angry at him, and definitely uncomfortable with the idea of dragging unit to Shiki instead of the other way round, with Roa’s help and Yuri’s promise to protect the shelter while they were away, he manages to make the five High vampires follow him into a shallow path leading up, up, up... until it opened to an almost bare clearing, with clouds cutting it off from the sight of the ground beneath. In there, it felt like they were the only living beings in the world. They, and the Song.

Rikka is used to sensation of hearing snippets through Shiki, but he is still shocked when other vampires seem to notice it as well. Then, they see Shu and Shiki, and sheets spread in front of them. Shu is sitting with his back leaning on Shiki’s, and his head tilted upwards. As they approach, he shakes it, and Rikka realizes he’s been dozing off, their sounds waking him up. He doesn’t look good, but compared to the state Shiki took him away in, he was looking great. He even gave them a shaky smile and let Roa ruffle his hair playfully, his connection with his Group possibly letting him sense the work Light vampire did for his people.

And apparently, he wasn’t just wailing in despair either, and Rikka looks at the scores spread over the map on the ground amazed. Was that... seven voices' Song?

‘It is, Rikka.’ Shiki answers him, but when Rikka looks at him, he doesn’t meet his eyes. ‘It’s our shot at regaining some semblance of balance.’

‘That’s what you’ve been working on?’ Takaaki asks incredulously.

‘Not only me.’ Shiki looks at Water elemental, now sitting next to him. ‘I’m incapable of seeing my own Song, remember.’

He points to the map and starts explaining, and gradually, all unit members gather around the him, discussing and planning, the seven part Song slowly making rounds, raising what they were lacking for the past weeks- hope.

It was a ridiculous plan, if Rikka was honest, but specifically because it was ridiculous that it had a chance of succeeding. The Song merging voices of Seven High Vampires was bound to be powerful, and with two Composers and Rikka, an active Singer, acting as a Bait, they could attract majority of the Marionettes and Puppetmasters and destroy them in one blow. With hunters joining forces with them once again, it was possible to regain their land long enough for everyone to prepare for the new wave of monsters- if it ever comes.

‘It will come.’ very calmly says Shiki, pointing to the four crosses marked on the map. ‘Remember what’s in those directions?’

‘According to sensors, the points where the Marionettes and Puppetmasters first emerged...’ Takaaki says, then drifts off as he takes a better look at what Shiki was pointing out. ‘...Damn it.’

‘Yes.’ Shiki agrees with him, as well as realization Rikka had, that the crosses marked four pathways exiled Wanderers took after end of the war. ‘It’s probable they are behind Puppetmasters and Marionettes appearance. Although the current ones do not seem to be capable of tactical thinking, we shouldn’t exclude the possibility that they are just prototypes to something bigger...’

‘Any chances masterminds caught the infection and are among the Marionettes we’re fighting?’ hopefully asked Rei, but Shu is the one who answers him.

‘It’s as good a guess as any. It’s also possible the project got out of their hands and they dropped it, and we’re dealing with leftovers while they start doing something even worse.’ he looks tired. ‘I hoped patrols I send in the direction of northern nest would come and report on their findings together with Mizuiro survivors, but...’

His voice cracks and he swallows heavily, the pain still raw. Without looking, Shiki reaches out and squeezes at his arm reassuringly.

‘Focus on those who you’ve got left, Shu.’ he risks a quick glance at  
Rikka before continuing. ‘Some might be a bit burnt, but all of those who made it to here are in one piece.’

‘And whose fault those burns are?’ dryly asks Rikka. Shiki grunts. Takaaki snickers.

‘After we clear main forces out, we need a plan for then.‘ Roa says. Noticing Shiki and Rikka tense, he huffs. ‘Of course you already has a plan for that, Shiki.’

‘Only for myself. Well, myself and Rikka, hopefully.’ their oldest answers, and his Changer sighs.

‘I won’t be angry forever, and that’s a good idea, even if not everyone will like it.’

‘Okay, spill it out so we can get angry now and then work around it.’ Takaaki groans out, massaging bridge of his nose. Shiki smiles wryly.

‘No working around it.’ he points to the cross on the west and moves his finger along the shallow canyon opening to-

Rikka’s breath hitches, but he nods to the question posed non verbally.

‘With enough time, I can block it out completely.’ he says quietly and Shiki smiles a proud smile.

‘What are you- no.’ Rei looks down at the map. ‘No way.’

‘Yes.’ Shiki insist. ‘Rikka’s work with his element is the most creative thing I’ve seen done with fire, and it is our family element for generations now. Our residence is also close enough that I can look after it while Rikka decides to travel again, and if anything breaches his barriers, I will be the lure they will go for first. Our villages are mostly evacuated from that region, too, so with a small sacrifice in land, we’d be capable of sealing off one of the Marionette’s sources.’

‘It’s not like we have to count on vampires exclusively.’ very slowly says Shu, as if the words hurt him. ‘With Shiki taking care of West, we will be able to focus on remaining three nests, and if we use both our and High Hunters’ powers... it’s possible to manage the epidemic while we build proper shelters and means of transportation.’

‘You leave again?’ Takaaki asks the Fire High, and Shiki nods. ‘What about Takamuras? They barely dealt with you being as secluded as you were until now, with you chained to the mansion-’

‘Keita is completely fine with representing me and deciding in lesser matters.’

‘And you’re fine with letting him.’ Takaaki asks and Shiki measures him with an unimpressed look.

‘He’s my little brother, Takaaki.’ he squeezes Shu’s shoulder again. ‘And if anything, little brothers are the most reassuring parts of my world, whether they are related to me figuratively or by blood.’

Rikka is pretty sure Shiki feels his pride at his Changer’s announcement.

‘I’m not going to let him away with cutting away from us completely, either.’ Shu says, and there’s a tinge of humor in his voice, even if there’s also tremble in it. ‘After- After we rebuild our inner forces, I plan on working out a stable connection with Shiki’s region, something Keita-kun will also be able to use to contact Shiki properly.’

‘A nuisance...’

‘He doesn’t really think about it like that.’ Rikka informs Shu, just as Shiki glares at him. They were slowly returning to normal, but Rikka won’t let go without some jabs first. ‘He just doesn’t know how to say that.’

‘Oi. Rikka.’

‘Changing you was probably only wise thing he did in his life, Rikka.’

‘Oi.’

‘I feel we all agree on that.’

‘Oi!’

‘At least we agree on something.’ sighs Rei, though his smile is also playful, obviously enjoying the suffering of their oldest.

Rikka with shock realizes that it’s their reality. That the vampires looking like teenagers are going to save the world.

‘Not save, Rikka.’ Shiki says quietly. ‘Only postpone decimation for a bit. If nothing changes.’

Rikka looks at him and finds that he cannot even stay angry anymore, not when he suddenly realizes that none of them, Shiki included, should be shouldering such burden.

‘Tell me what I can do to help.’ he says quietly, kneeling next to Shiki and Shu.

Different to vampires, he was an adult by the time he was Changed. Young and naive adult, yes, but that doesn’t change a thing. Even if some of them are older time-wise, people gather experience and gain in maturity quicker than vampires, and that means, he needs to support them.

He has to.

Shiki’s expression softens.

‘I really lucked out with you as my Singer.’

‘Maybe.’

*

They end the end of the world after that.

Song with seven powerful voices, with seven Elementals working together is like a tsunami, washing away all forces of Puppetmasters and Marionettes, spreading out, pushing threat away, but it’s not an easy fight. Shu and Shiki did great job reading everyone’s melodies and Composing them into one, but to Rikka, it seemed as if the Songs struggled to match each other, to partner with melodies they weren’t meant to be together with. It didn’t stop Marionettes from freezing, and if Rikka’s eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, the morphed faces smiled, when the power of the Song reached and decimated them.

He shares his observation with Okui, hoping it will help in the research hunters promised to continue even after immediate threat disappeared.

Rikka and Shiki separate from the victorious forces two days after release of the Song, without fanfare, only Shu and few of Rikka’s surviving friends from Izumi seeing them off. Elim is blushing like an awkward teenager he’s met him as, when he takes something out and presses it carefully into Rikka’s hand.

‘We’ve met survivors of your village when on the run. They said all of them had a one to recognize each other, but... I’m sure they won’t mind you keeping it as well.’

Rikka looks down and smiles, seeing perfectly preserved tiger lily in his hand.

‘Thank you, Elim.’

They say their goodbyes after that, and start travel back to the summer residence they spent first years of their lives as Composer and his Singer together, leaving behind a world that needed to find a new ‘normal’ after what is unofficially already dubbed as the Great Tragedy.

Not knowing that in a little under thirty years, this residence will once more become a place where Singers will meet the Composer and forge a bonds even hellfire won’t be able to melt.

*

The first sign of that meeting comes a decade later.

Rikka is on the clearing near the opening of the shallow canyon through which Marionettes attacked from west, forming field of burning flowers, reaching deep into throat of the corridor. With time, people occasionally come to see the impressive sight of few hectars of flowers sustained solely on energy Rikka imbued them with, but those visitors always leave before sunset, the terrain still dangerous and away from the shelter system High families of both vampires and hunters created as preemptive defense. Of course, sometimes flowers run out of energy to sustain themselves, and sometimes, they end their life burning up, destroying Marionettes. Because they were still coming, monsters from the other side of the canyon, and Rikka always stayed vigilant about renewing his garden. The maximum number of Marionettes he let slip past was one, and by the end of the day, they always got a report of minor hunting patrol taking it over and destroying the thing.

Over time it grew into mundane exercise, but today was different.

Rikka feels shiver of something... exhilariating happening elsewhere, and he knows Shiki feels it as well. He rushes back home.

‘You felt it too, right?’ his Changer greets him, panting at the doorstep.

‘What-’

‘I don’t know.’ Shiki’s eyes shine. ‘But I know it’s something really good.’

They obviously consult with both Takamura and Izumi messengers that visit them, but beyond the not so happy news of Okui losing yet another Head and son of Yuri taking over for them, they get nothing that would warrant a reaction from the bottom of the Composer’s heart, sensation overwhelming in happiness. Shiki still passes on the message describing it to Shu, just in case.

And it’s a good thing he did, because not even half a year later, Shu stumbles into their residence, eyes shining, three words on his lips.

‘I felt that.’

They try to figure out what it can mean, but it’s hard when the feeling didn’t repeat itself, not until two years later, when it’s Rikka who feels it first, in the first half of the year, a moment of bright, unadulterated happiness, that spreads to Shiki almost as soon as he becomes aware of it.

They exchange glances. Listen to the news from the world.

Still nothing.

Shu is visiting them when it happens to him again, five years after second supernova, as they started to jokingly call the feeling hitting Shiki and Rikka. His whole body stiffens, his mouth widen into blissed grin and his eyes shine so brightly Rikka wonders if he might cry. He doesn’t, but he’s close.

‘Think a new star got born?’ Rikka jokes, completely unaware of how close to truth he is.

Shu shakes his head.

‘It felt... stronger. As if the source was double, but very, very close to each other.’ he says, clutching at his chest, where Rikka from experience can tell his heart is pounding unnaturally loud for a vampire.

'Ah.' Shiki says, staring somewhere above Shu's left shoulder. 'One and a bit.'

'What?'

'Something in the Voices around you changed. The one and a bit fluttered just now.' he stops abruptly. 'Don't tell me...'

'You feel birth of your Singers?' Rikka asks, sincere excitement in his voice. Shiki frowns, looking at him.

'But then I would've felt yours too.'

'Rikka is only few years younger than you, though.' Shu points out. 'It's possible you've felt it and just don't remember?'

'Maybe.' Shiki concedes with a sigh. 'But that would mean our Singers are infants... so much for looking for them all those years ago.'

'Not really infants. Children.' calmly corrects Rikka. 'It's possible they're human, right?'

'And even vampires grow like humans up to their tenth birthday, so our first ones are already walking by themselves.' Shu smiles, hand still gently pressing against his chest. 'But this one born now... it's young. Really, really young.'

'Good for you, ne, Shu.' Rikka says gently, and Shu's eyes shine with happiness he didn't see in them since the Great Tragedy seventeen years ago.

'Yes. Very.' his eyes sharpen. ‘And because they are here, I want this world to get better. So, about that mr Tsukino I’ve mentioned....’

*

Rikka is still travelling, but only locally, to the closest town-shelter to the Takamura residence. Thanks to Etou-Izumi collaborative invention of glyph tunnels, the travel that previously would take him two whole days was now a matter of moments and slight exhaustion. Energy core, the same thing responsible for his control of flame derived from Shiki, and thing responsible for hunters and vampires' ability to fight Marionettes and Puppetmasters, served as partial fuel for the invention. Rest of energy it took partially from its’ creator and nature surrounding constructions acting as the entry and exit to the tunnel.

Those tunnel travels are how he preserves his fame as a model, and also how he and Shiki are contacted by Tsukino.

The man was but a young teen during the Great Tragedy, but he had two traits that made him become quick allies to Shiki, Shu and other vampires from allied unit.

One, he was a dhampire, a being born out of love between human and vampire, similar to Kumo Okui’s aunt. He knew coexistence and cowork were possible, because he was a result of it himself.

Two, he was a Composer himself.

It was something Shiki has felt the second man introduced himself to Rikka after one of his many photo sessions, all smiles and no hostility, only one fang flashing in the smile, man quickly explaining it to be but a decoration, for he took after his human father. It’s easy to talk with him, and even easier to see he means what he says. Maybe that’s why it’s easy to believe what he says about himself.

‘I don’t think I have Singers.’ he says calmly over tea Rikka invited him for at one of the tea houses opening near his tunnel entrance.’Or maybe not in the same way Shiki-san and Shu-san seem to have.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I see Songs of the people who don’t have their Composer just yet. I think.’ he looks at something around Rikka. ‘I mean, I can see yours, but there’s no way I would be able to decipher them. I think. Yet I can clearly see the sound of the lady who served us tea, and the boy who was just recently announced as the most promising of the Mutsuki heirs has one of the clearer Songs, but- I don’t see them as _mine_.’

Rikka listens for a moment to Shiki.

‘It’s possible your Singers weren’t born just yet.’ Tsukino nods.

‘Or they died before I was born. Or I never had my own Singers, and this gift is meant only to be used to join those Composers who do have Singers with them, and give the potential to Singers without Composers.’ he says, eyes flashing, ‘I prefer thinking it’s the latter.’

‘Is that why you’ve found Shu and now us?’ Rikka asks, relaying Shiki’s question.

‘More or less, although I have another reason to reach out to Shiki-san. He also Composed not his Songs, right? Before the war.’ the man says, and Rikka startles.

‘I’m surprised somebody remembers that.’

‘Well, not many do.’ Tsukino admits. ‘But I have a plan, and I need somebody else also capable of doing this, besides me, to work with.’

Rikka listens to Shiki’s speeding up thoughts for a while, before giving up and asking for the bill.

‘I hope you don’t mind a short tunnel travel, Tsukino-san. Shiki wants to meet you.’

The man gives him a wide grin in return.

*

That’s how Shiki becomes involved in the creation of Tsukino Organization as the Backstage Composer.

Newly promoted General Tsukino doesn’t abuse their relationship, but sometimes, he sends Shiki’s way notes and phrases, and with development of technology, short presentations of the Singer, and in return, Shiki creates Song from the scraps he can grasp. They’re still not nearly as powerful as what he does for Rikka and eventually himself (though his own Solos might have been those works he struggled the most with). Like that, years pass once again, and they almost forget about supernovas of the Singers’ births, absorbed in keeping up with the spikes in activities of the Marionettes and the strays that started slipping- more and more- through the openings in the protections around other nests, at the same time trying to keep up with technology and political developments people and vampires made within shelters. Map of the country changes drastically, splotches of colors now marking safe, endangered and lost grounds in addition to terrains with influences of certain Clans and Groups and Families. Situation is so flexible that within day, endangered might become lost, and safe become endangered. Within time, skeleton from shelters with strongest protection raise, all of them a base to one or the other organization creating Field or Backstage units independent in movements from those released under names of this or that High.

It’s easy to drown in it, but Rikka is still dumbfounded how they could get absorbed to the point of missing two lives connected to them with Songs approaching. One day he tries to keep up with the newest political development, the next he stares at two beaten up hunters, laying motionlessly at the verge of his lilies. Well, what was left of the flowers, at least.

The sight of thick ash is unmistakable- there were Marionettes, a lot of them, trying to breach his lilies' threshold. And there were hunters, laying inbetween those ashes, their blood changing grey powder into dirty red mud, making Rikka’s head spin as the influx of instincts- _attack, protect, defend, help_ \- fight for dominance over his consciousness. He finally gives up trying to understand the situation and sends image to Shiki before moving towards the hunters.

He realizes they’re from Okui forces by the time first protection around the taller, blue haired one, goes off. They’re barely sparks, obviously made with vestiges of power at the verge of conscience, but it didn’t stop them from having the characteristic golden glow.

It didn’t match with weak wisp of the energy of the tall man, which only meant...

Rikka looks at the other hunter. He’s slightly shorter, slightly slimmer, but the hair color is unmistakable. Somehow, Rikka feels, if he opened man’s eyes, they would be color of liquid honey as well.

And he has an undeniable aura of High, and glyphs shining on his skin, that Rikka recognizes as „breathe” and „regenerate”. Man was in pretty dire condition it seemed; if his last resort protectors got triggered...

‘Not just any man, Rikka.’

He raises his head, to see Shiki, looking from one hunter to the other. Rikka also feels that.

‘Yeah. Seems like your Singer is an Okui, Shiki.’

*

Dai wakes up groggily. It’s hard to even remember last thing he saw before passing out, but if he feels like that, it had to be something really unpleasant.

Which is contrary to his current surroundings, soft and pleasantly warm on his skin. And hand caressing his forehead.

‘You took your sweet time waking up, Dai-chan.’

‘Tsubasa?’ he opens his eyes, and simultaneously, remembers their situation. Urgent request to check on western nest, mismatched dispatch coordinates, swarm of Marionettes, exhaustion, fear, Tsubasa’s injuries...

Lilies, so bright he had to shield his eyes when looking at them, exploding with fire, protecting them, pushing the attackers away, offended at the mere thought of letting any of the living dead pass. Cauterizing them. Swaying in the nonexistent wind.

He looks around himself. They were no longer on the field of flowers, or on the rocky road leading to the nest. Instead, he was laying on old, expensive looking, but incredibly comfortable bed, in the room made of wood and stone, with one window covered by the curtain, no doubt so as not to bother them, and Tsubasa sitting on his bedside, all bandaged up, scanning the room, even as his hand keeps in constant contact with Dai’s skin. Now that he thinks of it...

‘You’re burning up.’

‘No joke.’ Tsubasa replies, eyes not leaving their surroundings. Mostly the bright wooden door on the right of his bed. Dai looks to the left. Twin of his bed stands there, its' blanket and pillows carelessly thrown atop of it. Tsubasa’s?

‘Where are we?’

‘Good question.’ Tsubasa’s voice is still level, meaning he isn’t sure if they are not mid-mission still, but something in Dai says that this carefulness is unnecessary.

He’s still grateful for it, when the door open and pink-haired man soundlessly walks through it, a tray with bandages and various other first aid supplies in hands, then stops in surprise, noticing Tsubasa.

‘You’re awake!’ his voice is both surprised and relieved... and incredibly pleasant to their ears. Dai tenses against himself, he didn’t have the best experiences with vampires, so this was his standard reaction to meeting new one. Right now, in a state where he feels he could barely raise his hand... he suddenly realizes why Tsubasa, even more heavily injured than he was, still decided to get out of bed and get to his side, separating him from the door.

It’s foolish, but he can’t say he isn’t grateful to his childhood friend.

‘I’m Sera Rikka.’ the vampire introduces himself. Name was as soft as his features were. ‘How do you feel? You were pretty battered up when we found you.’

‘We?’ Of course Tsubasa would instantly catch on to that. Rikka nods, walking over to the nightstand, uncomfortably close in Dai’s opinion, but then again, if his suspicions are correct...

‘Shiki and myself. Ah, I mean, Takamura Shiki, he’s my Changer and Composer.’ he says easily, setting tray on the stand, and turning to face them completely.

‘Changer?...’ he breathes but the vampire still catches it, for he cranes his neck around Tsubasa to look at him.

'You're awake as well? That's amazing.' he smiles prettily, but keeps his fangs hidden. 'With your injuries I'd expect you to be asleep for at least a day longer each.'

'I feel like I definitely could sleep longer than that~' Tsubasa jokes, but his voice is still level, still not giving any clues beyond those his obvious body state could give. 'But I'd rather confirm our situation first. You've mentioned Takamuras?'

'Ah.' Rikka's eyes seemed to sharpen slightly, before softening. 'Takamura Shiki, my Changer. Current Head of Takamuras, although if you met with clan representatives in the shelters, you'd be meeting his younger brother.'

This far, everything was true. Takamura Keita was the one assisting Past Head on councils and reporting on his clan's whereabouts during official meetings. Even then, him being second son were pretty much obvious, even to hunters, and the fact current head was living independent from his clan was pretty much common knowledge. It was rumored that the man was kind of antisocial, though. So why save two hunters?

'For now, I feel the first thing I need to assure you of is that you are safe. Both of you.' Rikka's eyes travel between both their faces, then he ohs. 'Also, that I'm not a feeding Changed and that Shiki dislikes blood drafts, so he uses preserved blood. So if you worried about that, you're safe as well.'

'And you don't have ulterior motive in mentioning that without us asking?' Tsubasa returns, and Rikka chuckles.

'You'd know if I had, even without active glyphs.' Tsubasa shifts, Rikka looks at him with surprising fondness. 'I've known few Okuis, Okui-san. You're not the type to be misled. But well, since you insist, let's say my ulterior motive is making you relax and get back to bed to rest your body. The protection you've put around your friend felt as if you were using vestiges of the energy from your core, and exhaustion is as dangerous as any physical injury.'

'You found us?' Tsubasa pretends not to take the hint and stays firmly between newcomer and Dai. 'It had to be a lot of work, carrying us to... wherever it is.'

'Takamura Summer Residence.' Rikka answers calmly, not deterred by Tsubasa's lack of cooperation. 'It's just a few minutes jog from where you collapsed, we're using it as observation point for the opening of the road to the nest. Speaking of which, can you tell me what you were doing on the other side of my barrier?'

'Barrier?'

'Those lilies.' Dai says in realization. 'Their energy was yours.'

'You're correct, um...' Rikka smiles at him embarrassed, and Dai realizes that while the man correctly guessed Tsubasa's family name, they still didn't introduce themselves. He exchanges glances with his childhood friend.

'Murase Dai. I'm this guy's team partner.'

'And I'm Okui Tsubasa, though you caught on that pretty quickly, mr Fire Lily~'

'You had amazing ancestors I had a pleasure of meeting.' Rikka explains with a chuckle. ‘Before you joke about it, we were on the same side.’

‘Way to destroy my chances at being snarky.’ Tsubasa pouts, but Dai feels it’s a playful pout. Rikka made the correct call, bringing in previous active Heads into their talk. Okuis valued previous generations’ judgement, especially on vampires, and used them as a base of their own opinions. And if Dai remembered correctly, all of them were pretty complimentary of the one called Fire Lily, Singer of the Takamura Composer.

Who now smiles gently.

‘Sorry.’ he looks between Tsubasa and empty bed. ‘So, will you let me get you to bed? I know you’re mending as we speak, I saw your regeneration glyphs out in the field, but the point of them is to be used in emergency, and now is not it. I promise we cannot have any dangerous plans including you two.’

‘There it is again, the plural.’ Tsubasa points out, but slowly raises. Just from his posture, Dai can read he’s favoring his right side. ‘You mean you and your Changer, I guess.’

‘Correct.’ Rikka comes closer to let Tsubasa lean on him. Dai doesn’t feel the familiar spread of dread when vampire is closer, making him stare at the man curiously. Rikka returns with a curious smile of his own. Dai looks away quickly.

‘Mind telling me where is he now?’

‘That’s... kind of hard.’ Rikka looks away, before scowling softly, then sighing. ‘Well, his body is in the other wing of the residence, that much is correct.’

‘Not his mind?’ inquires Tsubasa, even as he lets the vampire help him to bed. Rikka chuckles shortly.

‘It hasn’t really been there ever since we’ve found you.’

‘Us?’ Dai asks, and Rikka turns head his way. Dai can see Tsubasa appreciating the curve of vampire's neck from up close. Uh oh. ‘Why us? You’re in trouble because we’re here?’

‘Quite opposite, actually. Well, for Shiki.’ Rikka sighs with a smile, before leaving Tsubasa to get supplies needed for change of bandages. ‘I now have to babysit him while he forgets his body also needs maintenance, but, well, I guess that’s better than dealing with him when he’s stuck.’

‘Stuck?’ Dai asks, but Tsubasa suddenly yelps.

‘Say, Rikka. Could it be the Takamura Composer that Changed you is also the Takamura that works as Backstage Composer?’ he asks, voice suddenly level. Rikka looks at him in surprise.

‘You know a lot, Okui-san.’

Tsubasa waves his hand.

‘Just Tsubasa is fine, since Okui-san is probably one of the previous heads in your mind...’ he drifts off, scowl evident on his face. Rikka keeps an eye in him, but doesn’t ask any questions. Instead, he turns to Dai.

‘Do you think you could sit up, Murase-san?’

Dai could, and even managed to push the offer to go onto first-name basis through his throat. Rikka seemed both surprised and relieved by it. Even during the bandage change (for a vampire, Rikka has suspiciously stable and confident hands, betraying experience with, or maybe better yet, as human), he keeps minimum of contact with Dai’s body and doesn’t lean towards him even when stubborn knot refuses to hold properly. Still, every brush of his fingers against Dai's skin is like a spark, but a good spark... Dai isn’t sure if there was a moment he felt this comfortable with a vampire after knowing them for such a short period of time.

Probably not, even with Rui-

Then again, he forcibly cuts this train of thought off, Rikka also wasn’t completely vampire in his behavior. He looks at them like an equal, is fully aware of their personal space, and while he smiles almost all the time, he never shows his fangs. When Tsubasa, seemingly over his little inner tantrum, throws in a joke into their - super awkward, Dai is the person clumsier with words than he was with anything else, and he knows it - talk and Rikka, caught off guard, laughs wholeheartedly, he rapidly covers his mouth. Not to hide his true identity from them, he introduced himself quite openly after all, but not to stifle them with it.

Rikka also didn’t react to blood in any way beyond washing it away, and inspecting the still seeping wound worriedly, when he finally moves to treat Tsubasa.

‘I hope you haven’t seen any carriers of Black Despair during your fight?’ he asks, and Dai shakes his head, while Tsubasa answers.

‘We lucked out, there were no Puppetmasters.’ Dai’s partner looks down at his side, even though he probably couldn’t see anything. ‘What, it looks infected?’

Rikka shakes his head.

‘We’d notice instantly if either of you were.’ he says, then adds quickly, ‘Not because you’re weak, but your energy core, reason of higher immunity, was almost completely depleted. You were almost like normal humans. At least to infection.’

‘To infection, huh. And were we still different to „normal” to something else?’ asks Tsubasa with a smirk, but Rikka returns with a smile, putting new dressing over the wound.

‘Definitely. For Marionettes, obviously. If there were Puppetmasters, I’m sure also them. And also...’

He seems to hesitate, but there’s voice from the direction of the door, filling in for him.

‘Me.’

*

Okay, so that was not what he was expecting when sending that message to Shiki. Rikka stares from his seat in the legs of Dai’s bed, looking at his Changer fuming at Tsubasa, an Okui High Hunter and also Shiki’s Singer, in just as unsettled manner staring back at the vampire.

Moments ago he tried to calm them down, worried that the tension might open Tsubasa’s already closed wounds anew, but it was futile, and against himself, Rikka became mesmerized by the man capable of dragging this much passion out of Shiki.

The fact that this man apparently also can see Songs in their uncomposed state, and feels personally offended by Shiki’s works straying from that state in favor of matching Singer’s skill might also play role in him getting stunned.

Dai observes the showdown with him, and it seems that he feels the connection between Rikka and Shiki, because while he’s wary, he doesn’t seem to be as tense with new vampire as he was at first with Rikka. Considering Shiki started argument with Tsubasa three sentences in, it's a really good thing.

Maybe he also feels a kindred soul. Taller hunter had a hard time with words, but all of those he managed to string together were sincere and straightforward, the same way Shiki’s were when Rikka has first met the vampire.

Anyway, the stalemate they now observe is broken by Shiki huffing a sudden laugh.

‘Now I get why it became like this.’ he says, and his voice sounds almost light, and Rikka is reminded- with all three of them in the room, Shiki is now surrounded by all of his Singers, a state of absolute happiness for a Composer, and practically unobtainable for most of their lives. Shiki pulls out two sheets of paper that Rikka instantly recognizes as new Song.

‘Look at this.’ older vampire offers the Song to the still glaring hunter. ‘Maybe this one will convince you I’m not lying when I say I aim for the best result every time.’

Tsubasa distrustfully reaches for the papers, but the second his eyes fall upon the notes, they start shining. He tries to cover it, though.

‘What’s with this messy writing?’ he complains, even though Rikka can see the rapid movement of his eyes as they look at the score. Shiki huffs.

‘That’s your fault.’

‘Excuse me?! I was unconscious until an hour ago!’ even protest pulls Tsubasa away from the score only for a moment.

‘But your Song wasn’t, and it’s as annoyingly persistent as you are.’ Shiki answers and Dai straightens up next to Rikka.

‘Tsubasa’s?’

‘And yours, to be more precise.’ Shiki looks at Rikka. ‘You didn’t tell them?’

‘The wounds had priority.’ Rikka says dryly, making Shiki avoid his eyes with an ‘oh’ upon noticing -finally- bandage on Tsubasa’s head and dressings covering practically all of Dai’s chest. Rikka turns to taller hunter, eyeing both him and Shiki, now that Tsubasa seemed engrossed in reading. ‘I might have omitted the reason why we found you in the first place. And also, it technically could count as an ulterior motive, now that I think about it.’

‘Now that you think?’ Shiki looks disbelievingly at him and Rikka smiles his dangerous smile at him.

‘Not everybody live on coffee and music, Shiki.’

He ignores his Changer’s offended look - small revenge for nursing both hurt hunters and practically unresponsive vampire in his own, Composer-exclusive world for _days_ \- and focuses on Dai.

‘You know both people and vampires have Songs, right?’

Dai nods.

‘Some of those are connected to the people capable of seeing,’ Rikka stops, looks at Tsubasa, then smoothly adds, ‘and then Composing it. Those are stronger, because Composer can see them clearly and is aware of them, even if he’s never met the person the Song belongs to. You could say Composer is the one attached to the Song, rather than the Singers, but it’s true that melody connects them.’

‘I’m Shiki’s Changer, but I’m also his Singer.’ Rikka says, putting hand on his chest. ‘I think I’m historically known to hunters as a pretty powerful vampire, but in truth, it’s because all of my power comes from Shiki, and because he is the one Composing Songs I use.’

‘You want to tell me we’re like you.’ Dai says slowly, gesturing to Shiki. ‘Connected with Takamura-san over there with Songs. That’s why you’ve saved us.’

‘More or less. I knew something was going on because Shiki’s Composer instinct was pulling him towards my lilies. That’s how we found you.’ Rikka says, then observes as Dai nods calmly, contemplating.

‘And this?’ he asks, pointing to the sheets Tsubasa was now just staring at.

‘It’s a Song I saw first after bringing you two here.’ Shiki answers. ‘Your Song. Well, your and Tsubasa's, to be more specific.’ here, he turns to the dumbfounded hunter. ‘Well.’

Tsubasa bites his lip. Then, he glares at the vampire.

‘You’re taking easy way out, aren’t you?’

‘Huh?!’ Shiki seems taken aback, but Tsubasa doesn’t stop.

‘Okay, I admit it’s great, but this being the first Song you saw after meeting us is a lie, isn’t it?’ he waves the sheets with his left hand, but even then Rikka considers requesting him to stop- his right hand shakes in the newly created cast. ‘There’s no way mr. I’ve-been-composing-for-Fire-Lily-for-years suddenly doesn’t see the melody of his first Singer. And that only means you’ve chosen this one, because it doesn’t include something you don’t see.’

‘How in the-’ Shiki stutters, and Tsubasa glares.

‘We call it Composer’s Singer not because only you’re capable of Composing, but because our Songs are interwined with yours, isn’t that right?’

‘You’ve met another Composer?’ Rikka asks, as Shiki seems to be too dumbfounded to answer, but Tsubasa shakes his head.

‘Our family has a separate research facility dedicated to Songs and their relation with Marionettes and Puppetmasters. After getting to know most of their results, I figured out that’s the only plausible explanation as to why Composers are attracted to certain Singers and not others. Our Songs are closer and that means, closer to the Song Composer himself possesses.’

Rikka applauds soundlessly Tsubasa’s short explanation - he had it explained by two Composers, all those years ago, but to figure it out based on second-hand knowledge...

‘So? What is the real first Song you saw?’ Tsubasa asks, challenging. ‘Just a forewarning, I know you plan something, but I’m not ok-ing any plan that has you staying behind.’

‘And why is that?’ Shiki seems to have collected himself enough to quirk an eyebrow at the hunter. Who huffs.

‘Because, when you stay behind, you can easily become disconnected, and fuck it up like all this stuff you make as a Backstage Composer.’ Shiki scowls, but doesn’t interrupt him. Dai, however, does.

‘I thought we’ve worked it out already that those Songs are adjusted to the level of the  
Singer, Tsubasa.’

Tsubasa squawks.

‘Dai-chan, don’t betray me like that!’

Shiki smirks softly, while Rikka looks between two men, confused. Dai-chan?

‘Don’t call me that.’ taller man growls. Tsubasa returns to smirking.

‘Any other reason?’ Shiki asks, arms crossed. Tsubasa eyes him carefully, before admitting with a sigh.

‘I like fire. And you seem like the guy who can make this lit.’ he admits, pointing to the scoresheets. ‘Although only when you give it your all.’

‘As long as my Singers do.’ Shiki returns. Hesitates. Continues, ‘Although Rikka has never had a problem with it.’

‘My, thank you.’ said vampire smiles. Shiki looks away.

‘There’s a reason why I always had fun touching upon those Songs even if I knew I wouldn’t finish them, not until we all meet, I guess.’ he says softly, before letting his voice rise. ‘But it doesn’t mean I planned to mess with other people’s Songs. Most of those requesting my work were people on the Field.’

He sits heavily on Tsubasa’s bed. Hunter allows the sudden closeness with surprising ease, but then again, he’s let Rikka come just as close, if not closer.

‘And speaking of Field, it seems that it won’t hold out in it’s current state for much longer.’ he says grimly, then pulls out sheets, different to those in Tsubasa’s lap, with multiple gaps and crossed out places in them. ‘And I think this actually has a chance of changing the situation.’

‘Ah.’ Rikka and Dai say at the same time, look at each other, then look away just as quick. Tsubasa spares them the embarrassment of deciding who should speak next.

‘You want to create independent unit,’ he says, voice calm, even slightly curious, ‘with us as a team?’

Shiki nods.

‘Have you heard of Tsukino Organization?’

‘The place where you’re Backstage Composer at?’

‘Correct. Its’ general plans to release new units, centering around Singers. The two positions were left to the two affiliated Composers, namely me and one Head of certain Group.’ Shiki explains, then frowns. ‘While he still has duties as part of his old unit, he mostly moves separately by now, but that’s not important at the moment-’

‘What you’re trying to say is, you want me and Dai to drop my Okui duties to form an unit under your production and that General's command, so to say.’ Tsubasa says, but Shiki shakes his head.

‘I’m sure we’d be able to work out a consensus, even with Okui family.’ Rikka stifles a chuckle. Shiki respected Okui’s power, but definitely wasn’t a fan of eccentric family. His Changer glares, fully aware of his thoughts.

‘Two conditions.’ Tsubasa says suddenly, bringing attention of the room to himself. Dai straightens up.

‘You’re going to accept like that?!’

‘If we reach an agreement, yeah. You know how dad is about my decisions.’ Tsubasa says calmly. ‘As long as I can carry out the consequences, it will be fine.’

‘Conditions?’ prompts Shiki, though Rikka can see glimmer at the prospect of challenge in his eyes. He wonders if Tsubasa’s Song is that interesting to his Changer.

_„Alone, no, but with all of them together... you know.”_

‘One, Dai-chan is separate from me, but equal. No separating for better and worse.’ Tsubasa looks straigh into Shiki’s eyes. ‘And no vampire control, orders, treaties, feeding exchanges. Whatever else there is. You know what I mean. ’

‘Oi.’

‘This seems like a long story...’ Shiki remarks, ’but no worries, Rikka would strangle me in my sleep if I indulged in something as low as that. Well, provided I didn’t die from abusing Singer of my Song.’

‘Seems like we’re not the only ones having a story here.’ Tsubasa remarks.

‘You’d be surprised, though decision to share belongs to Rikka, and Rikka solely.’ Shiki returns, and Rikka smiles.

‘Shiki is pretty good at respecting other people’s autonomy, so I wouldn’t worry about that kind of abuse.’ he adds. ‘Trust me, I had... now almost fifty years to confirm that.’

Tsubasa whistles.

‘I guess asking about your real age will be impolite after all?’

Rikka sighs.

‘Let’s just say I’m still younger than Shiki and that’s my only consolation as a model.’ He says, and Tsubasa snorts in amusement.

‘Trust me, you could be in three digits and still get jobs with these looks.’

‘Oi, Tsubasa.’ Dai hisses, but Rikka waves dismissively.

‘I don’t mind, especially since I still have few decades to go before we cross the magical hundred.’

A loud cough disturbs them. Shiki looks pointedly at the Okui hunter.

‘As you can see, first condition is not a problem. So, the second one?’

Tsubasa smirks.

‘You join and stop holding back with us, Darling.’

‘Dar-’ Dai starts.

‘-ling?’ Rikka finishes, just as surprised. Shiki ignores them, staring straight at the hunter. Finally, he smiles slowly, and it’s equal parts challenging, excited and amused.

‘You’re in, Honey.’

*

And that’s how, one week later, Rikka ends up walking to the room ever since assigned to hunters, and sighing upon opening the door. One bed was empty.

‘Yeah, sorry about him.’ Dai says, before he can even question if Tsubasa was out again, despite most of his injuries having yet to heal.

Ever since that talk about formation of the unit, they grew surprisingly close, number one rule quickly established between Shiki and Tsubasa being ‘no holding back’. Of course it causes sparks to fly, but at the same time, Rikka has noticed sparks dancing in both Tsubasa’s and Shiki’s eyes. Dai confirmed his suspicions; not many people could match young Okui heir’s temper, even less were willing to put up with it. Dai was one of those very few, because of a story he wasn’t yet ready to talk about, and Rikka promised himself to wait patiently, having caught enough hints to realize involvement of not so friendly vampires, and well. He also had experience with those.

Also, the nice thing about their number one rule was that „don’t hold back” never meant „pressure others”. Rikka was more than glad to oblige.

Even if Tsubasa walking with his leg still recovering from few minor sprains and a possible crack was starting to annoy him, aside of the obvious worrying he did on regular basis, because honestly, hunter was in really bad shape when they found them, and the only person that seemed to belittle the seriousness of it was Tsubasa himself. Even Shiki stopped pestering him about his unusual Song-seeing skill (after long lecture from Rikka, but still)!

‘It’s fine to let this idiot go.’ Dai offers, shaking him out of his musings. ‘Once he runs out of steam, he’ll pacify himself.’

Rikka sits heavily on abandoned bed.

‘That won’t make me stop worrying.’ he answers and feels a whine tearing into his voice. Dai measures him for a longer while, but Rikka already got used to it- taller man was thinker, he needed a while to get all that was going around his head into words, especially when he tried to be polite. Which he still tried to be, at least with Shiki and Rikka, though that distance slowly melted away.

‘Why you care so much anyway?’ he finally asks Rikka, and vampire tilts his head. ‘We’re Shiki’s Singers like you, but it’s about as much as we have in common, right?’

‘More or less.’ Rikka shifts in place. ‘But I’ve seen too many people dying for my liking, if you know what I mean.’

Dai nods in understanding. Encouraged, Rikka continues.

‘There’s also the thing of me being Changed. Shiki doesn’t try to influence me or anything, but. Just like him, I felt it when you were born.’ Dai blushes faintly, and Rikka smiles. ‘It was a really pleasant feeling, just so you know. Also, it might sound obnoxious after barely a week of being acquaintances, but I have a feeling that, as different as we are, we will get along really well. I don’t want potential friends hurting themselves, you could say.’

‘...I think so, too.’ Dai admits, and when Rikka makes an interested sound, he elaborates. ‘Spending time with you is... easy. Like Tsubasa, only much, much less annoying. Mature? Is that the right word? Not sure, but I think it is. I’m not sure about Ta- about Shiki-san, but from this few times we’ve met, I feel like we’re somewhat similar.’

Rikka recalls all the times Shiki ponders something so deep he loses track of time, recalls his single-minded focus on his passion, and his dedication during Great Tragedy, the urge to help and protect those he considered friends. He smiles and nods.

‘Then there’s Tsubasa.’ Dai scowls, but then his face smooths out. ‘I call him idiot and he often behaves like it, but... he isn’t one, not really. He works hard, and beneath all that showiness is a guy very serious about his duty and his friends, you know? Plus, he’s sharp, and has good instincts. Is a bit childlike, too, but it helps him in judging people’s characters correctly. His confidence is result of all that put together.’

Even if they barely know each other, Rikka can feel the tinge of admiration in his voice, something very much absent when Tsubasa is in the room.

‘You really know him well.’

‘We’ve been friends since I was a brat.’ Dai shrugs. ‘Then... stuff happened, and I joined Okui forces, so. I’m kind of stuck with him. He’s kind of insufferable, but... he’s not a bad guy to stay with.’

He pauses and his eyes widen in face of Rikka’s smile.

‘Don’t tell him I’ve said that. Ever.’

Rikka laughs.

‘I won’t, at least until you won’t be able to tell him that yourself.’ Rikka ignores the „Not in this lifetime” to continue, ‘So, if you could tell me where he went, so I can bring him back to rest, I’d be much obliged.’

Dai shifts, and Rikka knows he’s hit the jackpot; Dai knew where Tsubasa wandered off to this time, probably was tasked with busying Rikka to gain some time. He didn’t mind, the talks with taller hunter were always leaving him in a great mood, just as much as playful back and forth with Shiki or flirting (or maybe joking around- it never crossed the line of uncomfortable like normal flirting usually did for Rikka) with Tsubasa did.

Still, it was getting late, and if Tsubasa got out of the residence, in his current condition he might have trouble with coming back. Rikka strengthened lilies after the incident, but there were other nests from which strays still were wandering into those regions, and hurt Tsubasa might have trouble dealing with a group of Marionettes.

‘You won't like what I’ll tell you.’ Dai finally answers, his eyes wandering to the side of the bed Rikka was sitting on, and he follows his line of sight. Dai was staring at Tsubasa’s nightstand, with a very, very thin stack of paper set on it, and vampire blinks.

He was sure it was thicker yesterday, when he helped Tsubasa by playing his scribe, jotting down report for the next High Hunter council, which was supposed to happen-

‘No way.’ he says out loud, but Dai just sighs, a long suffering exhale.

‘Yes, and I’m so, so sorry for this idiot.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Tsubasa just snuck out in his battered state, went through exhausting glyph tunnel and appeared on a council of Hunters? I guess so? I mean, it's Tsubasa. Rikka is going to have his hands full managing him and Shiki simultaneously, now that they are going to (finally! It took only five chapters!) form unit.
> 
> Epilogue left (we're getting a glimpse of certain growing prince...), afterwards we move on to Alive (with a lot of cameos by the SQ members...) and then finally I can start posting the thing that started it all! (and also Quell, but you knew it).


	6. Epilogue: Burny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that's a wrap! Man, that was a ride, but in the end I'm glad I wrote it xD  
> Enjoy Tsubasa crashing the council of the strongest people in the shelter and getting a blast out of it.

The room is stifling with power condensed in it, as well as the mood of its’ occupants. Kouki doesn’t envy sensors scanning this region of the shelter; just the heads of major Families and Clans were enough to cause sparks, and this meeting was specifically planned so that all heirs could also participate, sitting near the round table and offering their input. The chance to put both your and your family’s name out there was big and as such, heirs rarely missed the opportunity to take part in this council.

Because of that, the gap next to the Head of Okui Clan was all the more prominent, and no matter how much Kouki tried not to stare, his eyes naturally travelled to it.

It’s been three weeks since Okui Tsubasa and his partner were sent to check the western nest, only for the group managing their glyph tunnel to report wrong dispatch coordinates being used, resulting in the two landing way beyond the barrier marked as the grey area, straight into a place they suspected Marionettes gathered before marching out.

Kouki tried to fight off the impression the whole thing was chalked up to an unfortunate accident way too quickly, but. He wasn’t Okui, and apparently, its’ head dropped the matter a bit more than a week ago, and carried on with his duties almost as if he got over the loss of the son and heir.

Keyword being almost. Because, while Kouki knew great number of Families respected only male succession (his Family included), most Clans were more flexible on that, and Okui Mitsumasa, aside of son, also brought up a younger daughter, and did so in a way to make sure she would be just as capable of taking over as her brother would.

Yet, Okui Haneko wasn’t in the Heir seat today...

‘Kouki.’ his father whispers, and he refocuses on the speaker, a heir like himself, somewhat hurriedly but passionately explaining his plan of the rescue mission dispatched to the western nest with help of Support Soul Spirit users... meaning Etous would have to respond next.

Kouki stands up as both the speaking heir as well as some other youngsters look at him, expecting his opinion. Etous were, after all, the biggest Support family...

‘If we were planning to rescue Okui’s team and not just perform for the sake of our names, the time for that has passed at least two weeks ago.’ he speaks, and his predecessor flushes red. ‘It wasn’t a bad plan, but the timeframe it would be performed in just doesn’t match with the target presented for it.’

‘But this whole situation is just... so unfinished!’ protests previous hunter, but Kouki shakes his head.

‘While the request came from members of the council, those carrying it were solely Okui forces. As such, the only person able to decide whether the closure is proper or not is not us, but Okui-san. Let’s not usurp his rights.’

There’s a sound of clapping, and Kouki’s head snaps to the right, towards the door, eyes widening as soon as he catches sight of the person standing there. Well, leaning against the wall there.

‘I wouldn’t put that better myself, Etou, thanks a lot.’ Okui Tsubasa says, pushing himself away from the wall and hissing as he leans part of his weight on his right foot. He points to it. ‘Sorry for getting in during your speech time, but I kind of didn’t have time to get a proper crutch and this thing isn’t working at 100% just yet.’

‘Ah, no.’ automatically returns Kouki- they were only slightly apart in age. ‘It’s good to see you, so.’

‘Polite as always~thanks, I’m back, for a moment at least.’ Tsubasa grins at Kouki, but his eyes sharpen as they next land on other members of High Families and Clans. ‘Couldn’t leave everyone hanging, right~’

They stare in dumbfounded silence at the man- well barely a twenty year old, really, march in. Or, limp in. It’s visible his body is covered in bandages and band aids, one even wrapped around his forehead, tousling the perfect blond hair.

‘But- How-’

‘Tsubasa, you’re late.’ head of Okui greets his son. ‘I told you not to rush it, if you cannot be on time.’

Kouki sits down heavily. Well, that would explain absence of Okui Haneko. If the current Okui Head knew about his son’s whereabouts, his dropping the issue of wrong dispatch also made sense... no, wrong. He didn’t drop it, he just postponed analyzing it until he had precious information that Tsubasa could provide him.

‘Well, yeah, but being on time wouldn’t make for a proper entry, would it now?’ younger Okui grins, then winces. ‘Besides, I gotta report at some point anyway, so decided to do it while I have the files already.’

‘Your right hand is in cast.’ calmly points out older Okui. Tsubasa replies, not missing a beat.

‘Got typesetter.’

‘You barely can walk.’

‘Yeah, about that. Sneaked away from certain overprotective person, so I might be a bit short on time.’ Tsubasa takes his seat slowly, but his eyes are sharp as he sweeps them over the room again. ‘Still, there was some stuff that I wanted to make sure was heard clearly. Like the „Do not screw with Fire barrier if you don’t want to get burnt.” message.’

He pulls out a thick stack of papers out from his cast and splits it into two. Thicker, he pushes towards his own Head, while the thinner lands in the middle of the table.

‘Report on the mission near Western nest.’ he announces the obvious. ‘Should I give the vocal overview now?’

‘Are you able to do it?’ asks doubtfully one of the older heads, but Okui senior doesn’t even raise his head at the implication of his son being weak.

‘If he was capable of getting there through a three days glyph tunnel-’

‘Five.’ smoothly corrects Tsubasa, ‘I had to get to the Nubashiki first.’

‘Five it is, then.’ Okui accepts it without questioning, ‘I say there’s no point in sparing him, he’ll report anyway.’

He looks down at the first page of the report.

‘Especially since it might regard all of us.’

‘You bet it does.’ Tsubasa says, half-raising, then sitting back down with a sheepish grin once head of the Shiwasu Family, hosts of current council, nods his head invitingly at him and then asks him to speak while sitting. ‘Three most important points: the wobble of the Western barrier is bullshit, nest being dead is also bullshit, and we might be screwed anyway if we don’t start working together instead of against each other.’

‘That, all of us knows, that’s why those coun-’

‘Do we really?’ Tsubasa cuts off the Heir speaking up now. ‘Is that why the family involved in a Minazuki incident all those years ago messed up dispatch coordinates of my team and delayed reporting of the fact until they lost all contact with us?’

‘That was-’

‘And is that why everybody let the Heirs waste their energy and council time with their imaginations of great rescue mission to the heart of the nest, so long that Etou, who, mind you, should be Support-oriented, had to bring them down to earth?’ Tsubasa doesn’t let the Hozuki Heir, who tried to excuse his family, finish sentence. ‘Is that why, even though I didn’t report for more than two weeks, no follow-up mission was dispatched to check on the barrier? You know, if there really were trouble with it, two weeks is enough for Marrionettes to march almost halfway to Tokyo shelter?’

‘You just said the barrier is intact, though.’

‘And you seemed to know it even before I’ve told you, sir Hozuki.’ smoothly responds Tsubasa, but Kouki can hear edge in his voice, ‘so that brings me to the question why report wobbling stability of something that was fine, more, was that way for more than thirty years now?’

‘Oh, dear, young man. All things wear down-’

‘And can be refreshed, over and over again. Especially when the creator is elemental Singer.’ Tsubasa says, then adds, ‘Which you, who was entrusted with observing western region together with Takamura vampire Family and Izumi Group would obviously know, considering creator is pretty damn hot and popular model in those regions.’

‘Tsubasa, your personal preferences are showing.’

‘Can’t help speaking truth, da- sir.’ Tsubasa catches himself when addressing his father. ‘Plus, the guy saved Dai-chan and myself, I kind of owe him... even if he’ll probably murder me for coming here today.’

He adds the last part much quieter, and Senior Okui sighs.

‘You reap what you sow, son.’ he looks at the reports. ‘Before we press Hozuki-san for answers, I’d like to hear your opinion on the nest, since you survived coming closer to it than any other scout did.’

Tsubasa obliges, still eyeing Hozuki, and numbers and other information cause more jaws to hang open than anybody would like to.

‘-however, while the marks of Puppetmasters were present, we haven’t seen an actual thing just yet.’ Tsubasa wraps up. ‘It’s possible they move between nests, testing the blockades to find the easiest place to break through.’

‘Probability they break specifically through western nest?’

‘In the closest future? Zero.’ Tsubasa instantly responds. ‘I probably repeat myself, but the barrier there is the strongest and most versatile thing I’ve seen. Provided nobody messes with it, but then again, its’ creator enforced it after finding us. At the moment, it should be unapproachable from either side.’

‘Why we won’t apply the same barrier to the other nests and forget about the whole issue then?’

Tsubasa eyes heir who asked that.

‘If you have three spare Singers with forty years of experience, who survived Great Tragedy, Human-Vampire war and near-murder by Wanderers, then by all means, we could implement it.’ in the stifled silence, he adds, ‘It would also be useful to have Composer set nearby to act as a lure in case of Puppetmaster breaking through, but from the latest information we’ve gathered, their number has reached single digits, so I doubt families having such person in their ranks will be willing to sacrifice them.’

‘Plus it’s not like it’s final solution.’ Kouki’s father speaks up, leaning over the table. ‘The unit of Seven did inform us that their plan is buying us time at best, and what Okui-kun says just confirms that. The creator of the barrier is associated with them, isn’t he?’

‘He’s Changed.’ Tsubasa nods, and Etou ohs, before chuckling.

‘Fire Lily. Should have known.’ he says, leaning back. Catching sight of confused glances thrown his way, he shrugs. ‘I share Soul Spirit with my grandfather, who fought in the first war. That vampire’s performance there was practically what finished this conflict.’

‘You can share generational memory through your Soul Spirits?’ Tsubasa asks curiously, but Etou shakes his head.

‘That’s not the topic of the meeting, Okui-kun, don’t try to pick our brains for more info.’

Tsubasa tchs.

‘Fine, will find out another way~’

‘That’s the spirit.’ jokes older Etou, before getting serious. ‘Back to the topic, I presume our time is running out. The most secure from our perspective nest is void of the Puppetmasters, and it’s probable it’s because they’re moving to other nests. Most scouts are unable to get close to other hot spots, while the rate at which they spit out Marionettes grow, to the point border patrols aren’t able to get all of them anymore, and more and more shelters outside of our areas of protection report casualties, infections included. We still have only a very energy-consuming sun spell as the only counter measure that doesn’t involve vampires or Light element users.’

‘There is no reason not to look for vampire help.’ very slowly speaks Mutsuki. ‘Black Despair endangers everyone. But only if we can offer something in return. The way independent units do.’

‘Oh please, you keep pushing for independents since your son became leader of one, and your niece - of the other.’ somebody snorts. Mutsuki nods slowly.

‘I admit it’s easier to see benefits of mixed units working together when somebody from your Family belongs to one. But, Hajime’s and Yuki’s roles in those units are of secondary importance.' he says, leaning away, letting his impressive height be shown even while still sitting. 'What’s important is that the heirs of Kisaragi Group are with them, and are willing to have their backs. That they don’t have to worry about lack of cloning abilities, because they have teammates they can leave parts of the battlefield to. That they can make it easier for Field Support, because Kisaragis have surprising knack for purifying, and are willing to use it for their teammates. That the infection can be stopped even before they get to the Light affiliated or High Elemental. Of course, Hajime needs to balance those with his heritage duties, which result in situations like today.’

He points to the empty chair next to himself.

‘But I believe advantages vastly outnumber drawbacks. Perhaps it’s as Okui-kun says, and we should stop blocking the cooperation efforts with the rules about units working only under certain Families and Clans.’

There’s a moment of brief silence, before somebody snorts.

‘I’ll believe the kid means it, when he takes his own advice-’

‘Which he seems to be doing already.’ interrupts Okui senior, and Tsubasa looks at his father, skimming through second document, this one not copied for the rest of the room. ‘Unit under Tsukino, huh?’

‘They do have pretty good results.’ Tsubasa says, and his father hums.

‘You’ve dragged Dai into it?’

‘I have my doubts about leaving him alone in current state of affair.’ Tsubasa says, pointedly looking in Hozuki’s direction. ‘Plus, he seemed to make friends with our other teammates already.’

‘Oh? Even though he’s-’

‘Yeah. Curious, isn’t it?’ Tsubasa says with an easy smile, and Kouki feels his curiosity peak. Okui senior hums again.

‘Solids... you want me to approve of it.’

‘I hope you will.’ Tsubasa says, as if the decision was already taken and implemented. Okui senior snorts, clearly reading the tone.

‘Alright, if you think you can carry it out.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Wait, you’re letting your returned-from-dead son go just like that?!’

Kouki must admit he shares the surprise with the Head who asked the question...

‘He was pretty much alive for all this time, I believe. Just unconscious, till last week.’ senior of the Clan says casually, and Tsubasa nods. Then stiffen.

‘Ah.’ he snaps his head to the side, expression sheepish. ‘Speaking of which. Time’s up, Dai-chan changed sides. Gotta go, I guess. Da-Father, other information you wanted are in the file as well. Guess I postpone Hozuki investigation to a later date~ don’t want inferno in the council room, after all.’

He slowly gets to his feet, wincing when jostling particularly bad wound. It’s quickly becoming obvious he shouldn’t be up and about just yet, but after Okui’s Head pointedly ignores his firstborn’s state, nobody in the room feels to have any right to point out the issue, even as Tsubasa quickly nods to some of his acquaintances and smiles to some others. Nobody also had it in themselves to even try and stop young heir, even though the meeting was far from over.

He stops only at the door, at surprised exclamation of his father.

‘Solids Leader?! Tsubasa, don’t tell me you convinced this man to...’

‘Well, yeah. He needed a bit of fire... to reignite himself, so to say.’ Tsubasa smirks.

‘You are aware he’s a Composer?’

‘I’ll say more- he’s _my_ Composer.’ Tsubasa returns, ignoring gasps from around the room. ‘And Dai-chan’s as well, considering the... well, everything, starting with our meeting.’

Head of Okui looks at his son, and younger hunter nods minimally. His uncanny ability to see uncomposed Songs was better off being unknown to anybody not Okui.

‘But still, having such a plan already...’

‘Ah, that.’ Tsubasa smirks. ‘After we talked it out, you could say our darling leader has gotten a bit... burny.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I add this last line just to end this whole work with the title of the opening of the unit it was about?  
> Maybe.  
> Be on a lookout for ALIVE series stories in this AU (since the drafts for them expire on 16th, expect them to come up before that date, lol, I'm too lazy to chapter the text file again xD)! And then we will go for the main story... that ended up coming to life more as a side-effect of me starting work on Burny, I definitely do not have the priorities straight for this AU lol. Anyway! Thanks for reading and see you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
